At a time when deepest Africa seemed more alien than Mars is today, a young Scottish missionary of humble means marched into the heart of darkness, hoping to save a few souls. Between 1841 and 1873, David Livingstone made several epic journeys into the interior, mapping uncharted lands and hunting for navigable waterways. In the course of his adventures, he became the first European to cross the continent and to see Victoria Falls, which he named in honor of his queen. Livingstone’s writings lifted the shroud of mystery from the “Dark Continent,” invigorating the anti-slavery crusade while paving the way for European colonization.