Paul Belloni Du Chaillu
- Born:
- July 31, 1831, New Orleans, Louisiana, United States (disputed; some sources claim France)
- Died:
- April 30, 1903, Saint Petersburg, Russia
- Nationality:
- American (disputed; some sources claim French)
- Profession(s):
- Explorer, Zoologist, Anthropologist, Author
Early Life and Education
- Little is definitively known about his early life. Some accounts suggest he was born in France and educated there.
- He spent his youth in Gabon, where his father was a trader. He learned about the local tribes and wildlife.
Career and Major Achievements
- Became a prominent explorer of equatorial Africa in the mid-19th century.
- One of the first Westerners to confirm the existence of gorillas and pygmies.
- Made significant contributions to the knowledge of African fauna and flora.
- Lectured extensively in Europe and the United States about his travels.
- Later in life, shifted his focus to Scandinavian history and culture.
Notable Works
- Explorations and Adventures in Equatorial Africa (1861)
- A Journey to Ashango-Land (1867)
- Stories of the Gorilla Country (1868)
- Wild Life Under the Equator (1869)
- The Land of the Midnight Sun (1881)
- The Viking Age (1889) - A significant work on Scandinavian history. It is in "The Viking Age" that one might find evidence of his broader interests beyond Africa and potentially connect him to other historical figures, though he did not write a book specifically entitled 'du chaillu biography of abraham lincoln'.
Legacy and Impact
Paul Belloni Du Chaillu significantly advanced Western understanding of Central African wildlife and indigenous populations, though his accounts were sometimes met with skepticism and criticism. He also popularized Scandinavian culture through his later writings.