# David Livingstone

_Scottish missionary and explorer (1813-1873)_

Canonical: https://diginpl.com/people/david-livingstone
Last updated: 2026-11-01

> David Livingstone was a Scottish doctor, Congregationalist, pioneer Christian missionary with the London Missionary Society, and an explorer in Africa. Livingstone was married to Mary Moffat Livingstone, from the prominent 18th-century Moffat missionary family. Livingstone came to have a mythic status as a Protestant missionary martyr, working-class "rags-to-riches" inspirational story, scientific investigator and explorer, imperial reformer, anti-slavery crusader, and advocate of British commercial and colonial expansion. As a result, he became one of the most popular British heroes of the late 19th-century Victorian era.

## Quick facts

- **Born:** 19 March 1813 ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q48373#P569))
- **Place of birth:** Blantyre ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q48373#P19))
- **Died:** 1 May 1873 ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q48373#P570))
- **Place of death:** Ilala Hill ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q48373#P20))
- **Citizenship:** Scotland; United Kingdom ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q48373#P27))
- **Occupation:** explorer; physician writer; geographer; writer; missionary ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q48373#P106))
- **Education:** University of Glasgow; Charing Cross Hospital Medical School; Imperial College School of Medicine; Gilbertfield House School ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q48373#P69))
- **Awards:** Fellow of the Royal Society; Patron’s Medal; Grande Médaille d'Or des Explorations; Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q48373#P166))

## Questions

**When was David Livingstone born?**  
David Livingstone was born on 19 March 1813 in Blantyre.

**Where did David Livingstone study?**  
David Livingstone was educated at University of Glasgow, Charing Cross Hospital Medical School, Imperial College School of Medicine, Gilbertfield House School.

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## Sources

- [Wikipedia (English): David Livingstone](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Livingstone) — [CC BY-SA 4.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/)
- [Wikidata item Q48373](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q48373) — [CC0 1.0](https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/)
- [Image: David Livingstone by Thomas Annan.jpg by Thomas Annan / Adam Cuerden (Public domain)](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:David_Livingstone_by_Thomas_Annan.jpg)

## Licence and attribution

Text from the Wikipedia article David Livingstone, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. This page's text is shared under the same licence. Facts from Wikidata (CC0). Image: David Livingstone by Thomas Annan.jpg — Thomas Annan / Adam Cuerden, Public domain.

## Cite this page

"David Livingstone". DigiNepal. Last updated 1 November 2026. https://diginpl.com/people/david-livingstone. Retrieved 5 November 2026.