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:
Story produced by Charis Satchell.
© 2019 CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved.
