First European to See Victoria Falls: David Livingstone (1855)

Historic Encounter

Scottish missionary-explorer David Livingstone was the first European to view Victoria Falls on 16 November 1855.

Details

• Local Name: Mosi-oa-Tunya ("The Smoke That Thunders") — used by Kololo people.
• Livingstone's Name: Named for Queen Victoria.
• Approach: Traveled down Zambezi by canoe from Linyanti (Botswana).
• Description: "Scenes so lovely must have been gazed upon by angels in their flight."

Significance

Opened the interior of southern Africa to European exploration, missionary work, and later colonization. The falls remain a UNESCO World Heritage Site and major tourist attraction on the Zambia–Zimbabwe border.