Dr. Livingstone, I presume?—Answers

Here are the answers to my earlier post.

The first question concerns today, November 10th, while the others follow a theme related to it.

HenryMorton Stanley (L) meeting David Livingstone (R) at Ujiji.
Image Wikipedia

One

‘Dr. Livingstone, I presume?’

On this day in 1871, Henry Stanley uttered the famous words quoted above on meeting explorer and missionary Dr. David Livingstone at Ujiji. In what modern country is the town of Ujiji situated?

Answer: Tanzania

David Livingstone was a Scottish missionary, doctor, abolitionist, and explorer who lived in the 1800s. He is known for his expeditions in Africa and his efforts to bring Christianity, commerce, and “civilization” to the continent. 

Livingstone was born into a poor but religious family in Scotland. At the age of 10, he began working in a cotton mill to help his family. Despite the long hours, he was determined to get an education and studied Latin, Greek, theology, and medicine.

Livingstone became a missionary and set sail for South Africa in 1840. He believed that Christianity, commerce, and civilization would open up Africa. He wanted to find a route to the Atlantic coast to promote legitimate trade and undermine the slave trade. 

Livingstone traveled extensively throughout Africa, and was the first European to see Victoria Falls, naming them after Queen Victoria. He also crossed the African continent and explored the Zambezi River regions. Livingstone searched for the source of the Nile River. During this expedition, he reached Lake Mweru and Lake Bangweulu. In 1871, he arrived at Nyangwe on the Lualaba River, further west than any other European had gone.

Livingstone was found by Henry M. Stanley, a reporter from the New York Herald, in 1871. Stanley greeted him with the famous words, “Dr. Livingstone, I presume?” Livingstone refused to leave Africa with Stanley and continued his mission.

Encyclopædia Britannica, see David-Livingstone


Two

Which Portuguese explorer was the first European to reach India by sea, sailing around the Cape of Good Hope in 1498?

Answer: Vasco da Gama

Da Gama’s voyage established the first direct maritime trade route between Europe and Asia, transforming global commerce.


Roald Amundsen.
Image Wikipedia

Three

Who led the first successful expedition to the South Pole in 1911, beating Robert Falcon Scott’s British team?

Answer: Roald Amundsen

The Norwegian explorer used sled dogs and meticulous planning to reach the Pole on 14 December 1911 — a month before Scott’s ill-fated arrival.


Four

Which Venetian merchant and explorer travelled along the Silk Road to the court of Kublai Khan in the 13th century, later inspiring generations of explorers with his tales of Asia?

Answer: Marco Polo

Polo’s book The Travels of Marco Polo introduced Europeans to the wealth and wonders of the East, though some contemporaries doubted his accounts.


Five

What treacherous Arctic sea route, long sought by European explorers, connects the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans through the Canadian Arctic Archipelago?

Answer: The Northwest Passage

Many expeditions tried and failed to find it — including Sir John Franklin’s ill-fated 1845 voyage — until Norwegian explorer Roald Amundsen finally navigated it completely in 1906.

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Author: Scott F

As a retired trivia writer, editor and quiz compiler, I wholeheartedly agree with Bertrand Russell’s quote: “There’s much pleasure to be gained in useless knowledge.” Trivia of all sorts has always fascinated me, and for many years, I’ve written and compiled trivia for various media, including traditional TV and radio quiz shows, newspapers and magazines, apps, and other digital platforms.

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