1827-1864

English explorer who discovered the source of the Nile, the longest river in Africa. Speke served in the army in India before setting out with Richard Francis Burton (1821-1890) to explore the African interior. Together they discovered Lake Tanganyika and then, traveling alone, Speke discovered Lake Victoria, which he recognized as the source of the Nile. When, upon his return to England, his claim about the Nile's source was doubted, Speke made another trip to confirm his discovery, only to have his discovery questioned again. He was killed in a shooting accident before he could set forth a third time.