William Carey was an English Baptist minister and missionary who lived from 1761 to 1834. Born in Northamptonshire, he originally worked as a shoemaker while teaching himself numerous languages. He is widely recognized as the father of modern missions due to his influential writings and the establishment of the Baptist Missionary Society. After moving to India in 1793, he settled in Serampore, where he dedicated his life to linguistic translation, education, and social reform, leaving a profound impact on the region's cultural and religious landscape.