Matthew Henson, American Polar Explorer
Matthew Henson holding a portrait of Robert E. Peary taken during an expedition to the North Pole. Matthew Alexander Henson (August 8, 1866 - March 9, 1955) was an African-American explorer. At the age of twelve he went to sea as a cabin boy, educating himself and becoming a skilled navigator. He met Commander Peary in 1887 and joined him on an expedition to Nicaragua. Impressed with Henson's seamanship, Peary recruited him. They made many trips together, including Arctic voyages in which Henson traded with the Inuit, mastered their language, built sleds, and trained dog teams. In 1909, Peary mounted his eighth attempt to reach the North Pole, selecting Henson to be one of the team of six who would make the final run to the Pole. He sent Henson on ahead as a scout. ""I was in the lead that had overshot the mark a couple of miles. We went back then and I could see that my footprints were the first at the spot."" Henson then proceeded to plant the American flag. Although Admiral Peary received many honors, Henson was largely ignored and spent most of the next thirty years working as a clerk in a federal customs house in New York. In 1944 Congress awarded him a duplicate of the silver medal given to Peary. He died in 1955 at the age of 88. World-Telegram photo by Roger Higgins, 1953.
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Photo credit: © Science History Images / Alamy / Afripics
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