John Hanning Speke
A stubborn Victorian explorer whose claim to have found the source of the Nile sparked one of geography's most bitter and enduring feuds.
1827–1864 (age 37)·English explorer and army officer·Birthday: May 4
Biography
John Hanning Speke declared Lake Victoria the source of the Nile in 1858 after glimpsing it during a solo detour while temporarily blinded and deafened. Born in 1827, this army officer found his purpose on expeditions with Richard Burton. Burton vehemently disputed Speke's claim. Speke's subsequent solo expedition, tracing the river's exit from the lake, confirmed his belief. His announcement to the Royal Geographical Society was a triumph, but Burton's relentless skepticism poisoned it. The feud was to be settled in a public debate. Speke died the day before from a hunting accident in 1864, leaving the mystery unresolved, though history largely vindicated his claim.
#1 When John Was Born
The biggest hits of 1827
John's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1827Born
1832Started school
1840Became a teenager
1843Could drive
1845Could vote
1848Turned 21
1857Turned 30
1864Died at 37
President: Abraham Lincoln
Key Achievements
- Was the first European to identify and name Lake Victoria, which he proposed as the long-sought source of the White Nile.
- Made three major exploratory expeditions into East Africa, mapping significant portions of the Great Lakes region.
- Published 'Journal of the Discovery of the Source of the Nile,' a bestselling account of his controversial expedition.
- Served as a captain in the British Indian Army, seeing action in the First Anglo-Sikh War.
Did You Know?
He died from a gunshot wound the day before he was to publicly debate Richard Burton on the Nile source controversy; the death was ruled an accident.
During his first major expedition, he was severely wounded in a skirmish and carried the spearhead in his body for years.
He undertook extensive hunting trips in the Himalayas before turning his attention to African exploration.
The botanical genus *Spekia*, a freshwater snail found in Lake Tanganyika, is named in his honor.
“The Nile is settled.”
