David Livingstone becomes the first European to see Victoria Falls

Background. Victoria Falls is a major waterfall on the Zambezi River, situated on the border between Zambia and Zimbabwe. While known to some European geographers prior to the 19th century, it was introduced to David Livingstone in 1855. The site is one of the world's largest waterfalls, measuring 1,708 meters in width. Local names include Mosi-oa-Tunya, meaning 'Thundering Smoke,' and Shungu Namutitima, meaning 'Boiling Water.'

Expedition Context. Livingstone was a Scottish doctor and a pioneer Christian missionary with the London Missionary Society. He traveled from the upper Zambezi to the river's mouth between 1852 and 1856. During this leg, he became the first European to see the Mosi-oa-Tunya waterfall. He had been informed about the falls before reaching them from upriver, leading to his arrival at the site in November 1855.

Naming and Location. Livingstone named the waterfall Victoria Falls after Queen Victoria. He viewed the falls from Livingstone Island, one of two land masses in the middle of the river, immediately upstream from the falls near the Zambian shore. The nearby national park in Zambia is named Mosi-oa-Tunya, while the town on the Zimbabwean shore is named Victoria Falls.