Mungo Park was born on 10 September 1771, at Foulshiels, Scotland. He excelled academically, studying medicine at the University of Edinburgh. His first major contribution was to be in the field of natural science, discovering eight new species of fish off Sumatra. His travels in Africa however, and his courageous attempts to map the course of the Niger river sealed his place in history. Many conflicting reports exist regarding Park's death, but it is generally accepted to have been in January 1806, on the Niger.