Matthew Henson

Matthew Henson, born on August 8, 1866, in Nanjemoy, Maryland, was an African-American explorer, writer, and computer scientist. He grew up in a family of free Black Americans and spent much of his early life in Washington, D.C. Leaving school at the age of twelve, Henson worked various jobs, including as a cabin boy and later as a salesclerk, where he caught the attention of Robert Peary.

In 1887, Peary hired Henson as a personal valet, marking the beginning of a remarkable partnership that would span nearly twenty-three years and include seven Arctic expeditions. Their first journey together took place from 1891 to 1892, during which Henson served as a navigator and craftsman, earning the title of Peary's 'first man' and immersing himself in Inuit survival techniques.

Henson is best known for his role in the 1908–1909 expedition that claimed to have reached the geographic North Pole on April 6, 1909. He later asserted that he was the first of the party to arrive at the pole. Although their claim was widely accepted at the time, subsequent research in 1989 raised doubts about the accuracy of their navigational records.

His memoir, 'A Negro Explorer at the North Pole,' published in 1912, brought him fame, and his contributions to exploration were recognized throughout his life. Henson became the first African American life member of The Explorers Club in 1937 and received numerous accolades, including the Peary Polar Expedition Medal in 1944. In 1988, he and his wife were re-interred at Arlington National Cemetery, and in 2000, he was posthumously awarded the Hubbard Medal by the National Geographic Society.

In September 2021, the International Astronomical Union honored Henson's legacy by naming a lunar crater after him, ensuring that his contributions to exploration would not be forgotten.