Origins of Louis Leakey Few people have had more impact on the study of human origins than Louis Leakey. "Leakey made fossil discoveries in East Africa that proved man was far older than had previously been believed." He was born on August 7, 1903 just outside of Nairobi, Kenya. His parents, Harold and Mary Leakey were in Kenya as English missionaries. His interest and success in the search for human origins can be attributed to his childhood, a rugby accident, and the criticism he received from his fellow scientists. Louis Leakey was born to be an anthropologist. To start, one of Leakey's major influences was his childhood. Leakey grew