ARCHAEOLOGIST

Louis Leakey

1903 - 1972

Louis Leakey

Louis Seymour Bazett Leakey (7 August 1903 – 1 October 1972) was a Kenyan-British palaeoanthropologist and archaeologist whose work was important in demonstrating that humans evolved in Africa, particularly through discoveries made at Olduvai Gorge with his wife, fellow palaeoanthropologist Mary Leakey. Having established a programme of palaeoanthropological inquiry in eastern Africa, he also motivated many future generations to continue this scholarly work. Several members of the Leakey family became prominent scholars themselves. Another of Leakey's legacies stems from his role in fostering field research of primates in their natural habitats, which he saw as key to understanding human evolution. Read more on Wikipedia

His biography is available in different languages on Wikipedia. Louis Leakey is the 25th most popular archaeologist (down from 19th in 2019), the 5th most popular biography from Kenya (up from 6th in 2019) and the most popular Kenyan Archaeologist.

Louis Leakey is most famous for his discovery of the Zinjanthropus skull in Olduvai Gorge, Tanzania. He also discovered the Homo Habilis skull in 1960.

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Among ARCHAEOLOGISTS

Among archaeologists, Louis Leakey ranks 25 out of 151. Before him are Alcide d'Orbigny, Zahi Hawass, Karl Richard Lepsius, George Herbert, 5th Earl of Carnarvon, Oscar Montelius, and Khaemweset. After him are Austen Henry Layard, Flinders Petrie, Othniel Charles Marsh, Leo Frobenius, John Lubbock, 1st Baron Avebury, and Paul Pelliot.

Most Popular Archaeologists in Wikipedia

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Alcide d'Orbigny
1802 - 1857
HPI: 67.84
Rank: 19
Zahi Hawass
1947 - Present
HPI: 67.62
Rank: 20
Karl Richard Lepsius
1810 - 1884
HPI: 67.36
Rank: 21
George Herbert, 5th Earl of Carnarvon
1866 - 1923
HPI: 67.03
Rank: 22
Oscar Montelius
1843 - 1921
HPI: 66.76
Rank: 23
Khaemweset
1281 BC - 1225 BC
HPI: 66.55
Rank: 24
Louis Leakey
1903 - 1972
HPI: 66.51
Rank: 25
Austen Henry Layard
1817 - 1894
HPI: 66.33
Rank: 26
Flinders Petrie
1853 - 1942
HPI: 65.10
Rank: 27
Othniel Charles Marsh
1831 - 1899
HPI: 64.35
Rank: 28
Leo Frobenius
1873 - 1938
HPI: 64.33
Rank: 29
John Lubbock, 1st Baron Avebury
1834 - 1913
HPI: 64.24
Rank: 30
Paul Pelliot
1878 - 1945
HPI: 64.17
Rank: 31

Contemporaries

Among people born in 1903, Louis Leakey ranks 71. Before him are Princess Olga of Greece and Denmark, John Vincent Atanasoff, Vladimir Bartol, Irving Stone, Maria Reiche, and Prince Charles, Count of Flanders. After him are Gregory Goodwin Pincus, Misao Tamai, Yevgeny Mravinsky, Johannes Heesters, Waldemar Hoven, and Werner Best. Among people deceased in 1972, Louis Leakey ranks 43. Before him are Antonio Segni, Ludwig von Bertalanffy, Emil Maurice, Lale Andersen, Said bin Taimur, and Ferdinand Čatloš. After him are Josep Samitier, Jigme Dorji Wangchuck, Natalie Clifford Barney, Eugène Tisserant, Fredric Brown, and Bronislava Nijinska.

Others Born in 1903

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Princess Olga of Greece and Denmark
POLITICIAN
1903 - 1997
HPI: 67.40
Rank: 65
John Vincent Atanasoff
PHYSICIST
1903 - 1995
HPI: 67.21
Rank: 66
Vladimir Bartol
WRITER
1903 - 1967
HPI: 67.17
Rank: 67
Irving Stone
WRITER
1903 - 1989
HPI: 67.17
Rank: 68
Maria Reiche
MATHEMATICIAN
1903 - 1998
HPI: 67.14
Rank: 69
Prince Charles, Count of Flanders
POLITICIAN
1903 - 1983
HPI: 67.04
Rank: 70
Louis Leakey
ARCHAEOLOGIST
1903 - 1972
HPI: 66.51
Rank: 71
Gregory Goodwin Pincus
BIOLOGIST
1903 - 1967
HPI: 66.51
Rank: 72
Misao Tamai
SOCCER PLAYER
1903 - 1978
HPI: 66.27
Rank: 73
Yevgeny Mravinsky
POLITICIAN
1903 - 1988
HPI: 66.15
Rank: 74
Johannes Heesters
ACTOR
1903 - 2011
HPI: 66.01
Rank: 75
Waldemar Hoven
PHYSICIAN
1903 - 1948
HPI: 65.89
Rank: 76
Werner Best
POLITICIAN
1903 - 1989
HPI: 65.85
Rank: 77