Arctic explorer, claimed as the first to reach the geographic North Pole
Spouses
Eva Flint
(m. 1891–1897)
Lucy Ross
(m. 1907)
Akatingwah (concubine)
Children
Anauakaq (1906–1987; by Akatingwah)
Matthew Alexander Henson (August 8, 1866 – March 9, 1955) was an African American explorer who accompanied Robert Peary on seven voyages to the Arctic over a period of nearly 23 years. They spent a total of 18 years on expeditions together.[1] He is best known for his participation in the 1908–1909 expedition that claimed to have reached the geographic North Pole on April 6, 1909. Henson said he was the first of their party to reach the North Pole.
Henson was born in Nanjemoy, Maryland, to sharecropper parents who were free Black Americans before the Civil War. He spent most of his early life in Washington, D.C., but left school at the age of twelve to work as a cabin boy. He later returned to Washington and worked as a salesclerk at a department store. One of his customers was Robert Peary, who in 1887 hired him as a personal valet. At the time, Peary was working on the Nicaragua Canal.
Their first Arctic expedition together was in 1891–92. Henson served as a navigator and craftsman, and was known as Peary's "first man". Like Peary, he studied Inuit survival techniques.
During their 1908–09 expedition to Greenland, Henson was one of the six men – including Peary and four Inuit assistants – who claimed to have been the first to reach the geographic North Pole. In interviews, Henson identified as the first member of the party to reach what they believed was the pole. The team's claim had gained widespread acceptance, but, in 1989, Wally Herbert published research that found that their expedition records were unreliable and indicated an implausibly high speed during their final rush for the pole, and that the men could have fallen 30–60 miles (48–97 km) short of the pole due to navigational errors.
Henson achieved a degree of fame as a result of participating in the expedition, and in 1912, he published a memoir titled A Negro Explorer at the North Pole. As he approached old age, his exploits received renewed attention. In 1937, he was the first African American to be made a life member of The Explorers Club; in 1948, he was elevated to the club's highest level of membership. In 1944, Henson was awarded the Peary Polar Expedition Medal, and he was received at the White House by Presidents Harry Truman and Dwight Eisenhower. In 1988, he and his wife were re-interred at Arlington National Cemetery.[2] In 2000, Henson posthumously was awarded the Hubbard Medal by the National Geographic Society.[3] In September 2021, the International Astronomical Union named a lunar crater after him.[4]
^Deirdre C. Stam, "Introduction to The Explorers Club Edition," Matthew A. Henson's Historic Arctic Journey: The Classic Account of One of the World's Greatest Black Explorers, Globe Pequot, 2009, pp. 3–6
^Burial Detail: Henson, Matthew A (Section 8, Grave S-15-1) – ANC Explorer
^Howard, Brian Clark (February 23, 2018). "Historic Photos Celebrate Pioneering Black Explorer". National Geographic. Archived from the original on February 25, 2016. Retrieved January 17, 2019.
^"Lunar Crater Named After Arctic Explorer Matthew Henson by International Astronomical Union, Accepting NASA/LPI Proposal". NASA. September 20, 2021. Retrieved September 25, 2021.
Matthew Alexander Henson (August 8, 1866 – March 9, 1955) was an African American explorer who accompanied Robert Peary on seven voyages to the Arctic...
Harlem. Much of her life was occupied as the wife and later the widow of MatthewHenson. She spoke about his work, represented him at events, and preserved...
clothing store where he met 21-year-old MatthewHenson, a black man working as a sales clerk. Learning that Henson had six years of seagoing experience as...
Harriet Beecher Stowe's "Uncle Tom's Cabin". A descendant of Josiah Henson, MatthewHenson, was also from Southern Maryland and he was one of the first people...
MatthewHenson State Park is a publicly owned greenway with recreational features that runs along Turkey Branch, a tributary of Rock Creek, in Montgomery...
Jane Ann Henson (née Nebel; June 16, 1934 – April 2, 2013) was an American puppeteer and the wife of Jim Henson. Jane Ann Nebel was born and raised in...
The MatthewHenson Residence is a historic apartment residence at 246 West 150th Street in Manhattan, New York City. Apartment 3F in this building is where...
Jim Henson Idea Man is an upcoming 2024 American documentary film directed by Ron Howard, about puppeteer Jim Henson. The film chronicles Henson's life...
James Maury Henson (September 24, 1936 – May 16, 1990) was an American puppeteer, animator, actor, and filmmaker who achieved worldwide notability as the...
Emory Lane bikeways were created. The MatthewHenson Trail is a 4.2-mile-long paved trail through MatthewHenson State Park from Rock Creek to Alderton...
Fridtjof Nansen, Robert Falcon Scott, George W. DeLong, Robert Peary, MatthewHenson, and Roald Amundsen. Pemmican has traditionally been made using whatever...
USNS Henson (T-AGS-63) is a Pathfinder-class oceanographic survey ship. It is the fourth ship in the class. Henson is named after MatthewHenson, who...
was asked to recreate the 1908–1909 expedition by Robert Peary and MatthewHenson, which reached what was believed at the time to be the Geographic North...
Josiah Henson (June 15, 1789 – May 5, 1883) was an author, abolitionist, and minister. Born into slavery, in Port Tobacco, Charles County, Maryland, he...
musician Matthew Henry (1662–1714), Welsh Nonconformist minister and author MatthewHenson (1866–1955), African-American Arctic explorer Matthew Herbert...
who claimed to have reached the Pole on 6 April 1909, accompanied by MatthewHenson and four Inuit men, Ootah, Seeglo, Egingwah, and Ooqueah. However, Peary's...
Rear Admiral (Captain) Deacons Rear Admiral (Captain) Robert Sansum MatthewHenson, cabin boy at the age of 12. Went on to accompany Robert Peary in his...
Elden Henson (born Elden Ryan Ratliff, August 30, 1977) is an American actor. He is best known for playing Fulton Reed in The Mighty Ducks trilogy (1992–1996)...
Drew Daniel Henson (born February 13, 1980) is an American former Major League Baseball (MLB) third baseman and National Football League (NFL) quarterback...
as African-American explorer MatthewHenson, in the TV film Glory & Honor, directed by Kevin Hooks. It portrayed Henson's nearly 20-year partnership with...
SpaceX Construction number B1060 First flight 30 June 2020 (USA-304 MatthewHenson) Last flight 28 April 2024 (Galileo FOC FM25 & FM27) Flights 20 Status...