Almanac: "Dr. Livingstone, I presume?"

On November 10, 1871, Henry Stanley reported meeting David Livingstone in the heart of Africa.

Livingstone, a Scottish missionary and explorer, had disappeared years before while searching for the source of the River Nile.

Stanley, a self-promoting journalist, had been sent by the New York Herald to find him.

And, lo and behold, after months of searching, Henry Stanley finally did encounter Livingstone, a moment dramatized in the 1939 film "Stanley and Livingstone," starring Spencer Tracy and Sir Cedric Hardwicke:

Stanley: "Dr. Livingstone, I presume?"
Livingstone: "Yes."
Stanley: "I thank God, doctor, I've been permitted to see you."

Stanley's headline-making account made those words famous around the world.

As for whether those were actually spoken, well, we can only take Henry Stanley's word for it.

        
For more info:

• Stanley meets Livingstone (Smithsonian Magazine)
• When Stanley Met Livingstone (History Channel)
• "Stanley and Livingstone" (20th Century Fox), available on DVD from Amazon

        
Story produced by Charis Satchell.