Louis Leakey was born near Nairobi, Kenya. His parents were Harry and Mary Leakey and were both missionaries. Some people say he was born to be an archaeologist. He grew up with children from the Kikuyu tribe. Leakey went to school at Cambridge University, majoring in Anthropology. He graduated from Cambridge in 1926. After leaving school, Leakey got a job as an African expert on an archaeological mission to Tanzania. When it was finished, Leakey returned to Cambridge and studied anthropology.

Leakey had a view that early man developed in Africa. He studied the Olduvai Gorge and the Homo sapiens skeleton. He studied many sites and found many interesting things, such as tools, bones and other artifacts. After few years, he had gained recognition from other archaeologists, went back to England with a two year Fellowship at St. John’s College and got married to Frieda in 1928.

Leakey published his first book The Stone Age Cultures of Kenya Colony. While working at St. John’s, Leakey got a grant to go back to Olduvai Gorge. While he was there he discovered the oldest Homo sapiens in the world. People contradicted his theories. He then went back to Africa and found older skulls whose age could be proven.

In 1936 Leakey wrote his autobiography entitled White Africa and went back and wrote about the Kikuyu culture. During this time he remarried to a woman named Mary. In 1939 Leaky became a Civilian Intelligence Officer for the Kenyan government. He was later drafted to the African Intelligence Department. At the end of WWII Leakey was a spy sent to collect information for the government.

In June of 1947, Leakey began an excavation at Rusinga Island. In 1949 Leakey discovered the first Proconsul skull complete with a face; this was indeed a missing link between monkey and ape. From this find Leaky got an increase of research funds. Leakey then went back to Rusinga Island to find more artifacts. In 1951 Louis and Mary went back to the Olduvai site, here he searched for the man who created tools. In 1959 their excavations paid off; Leakey and his wife found a new skeleton. Louis called it "Zinj" and displayed it at the fourth Pan African Congress. It caused madness among the people and brought him and his wife worldwide fame. More money was given to continue excavation at Olduvai. Mary took over the excavation while Louis was working at the Corynkon Museum.

Louis Leakey died in 1972 of a heart attack at age 69. Mary and their son, Richard, went on to continue his work and discover more artifacts.

Information provided by: http://www.anthro.mankato.msus.edu