“I think I'm the first man to sit on top of the world” - Matthew Henson
(Matthew Henson)
Matthew Henson was born in Nanjemoy, Maryland, USA on August 8th, 1866. Henson’s mother died when he was 2 years old. Later his father died and Henson was sent to live with his uncle in Washington D.C., USA. At 12 years old Henson moved to Baltimore, MD. While in Maryland he became a cabin boy on a merchant ship. In November of 1887 he met commander Robert E. Peary. Henson was recruited by Peary as an aide for a surveying expedition to Nicaragua.
(Henson as a young man)
Peary was impressed with Henson on that expedition so Peary made Henson his 1st man in his expeditions. For more than 20 years their expeditions were to the Arctic. Henson traded with the Inuit natives and mastered their language. They called him Mahri-Pahluk. He was a skilled craftsman, and he came up with solutions for what the team needed in the harsh Arctic conditions. In 1908 Peary mounted his eighth attempt to reach the North Pole. Peary selected Henson and four Inuit natives as part of the team of six who would make the final run to the North Pole.
(Henson (Right) with his associates)
Henson was set as a scout after Peary fell ill and couldn't go on. Henson reached the North Pole and placed the American flag. Henson became the 1st man to reach the North Pole. In 1909 Henson was honored within the Black community but as a whole his contributions were ignored. In 1912 Henson published a memoir of his arctic exploration. For the next 30 years Henson worked in the U.S. Customs House in New York. In 1947 he collaborated with Bradley Robinson to write Henson’s biography Dark Companion. In 1937 Henson was admitted as a member to the prestigious Explorers Club in New York City. In 1944 Henson was awarded with the Peary Polar Expedition Medal.
(Henson (Right) at the White House)
On March 9th, 1955 Matthew Henson passed away in The Bronx, New York. He was 88 years old.
(Henson later in life)
Today is the 61st anniversary of his death. Take time to remember this great explorer today.
Books relating to Matthew Henson
- A Black Explorer at the North Pole (1912) by Matthew Henson
- Dark Companion: The Story of Matthew Henson (1947) by Bradley Robinson
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