The First Person to Reach the North Pole
Born August 6, 1866, in Charles County Maryland to free African American parents, Matthew Henson at age 13 began working on a ship based in Baltimore. The ship’s captain taught him to read, write and navigate. Henson left the job due to racist treatment he received from many of the ship’s crew. He later worked as a store clerk in Washington, DC where he met Robert Peary who hired him as a valet.
Henson and Peary were together on eight arctic expeditions over 22 years. On April 6, 1909, Matthew Henson and four Inuit men, Ookeah, Oatah, Egingwah and Seeglow, arrived at the North Pole, some 45 minutes ahead of Peary. In a National Geographic article, Profile: African-American North Pole Explorer Matthew Henson by Anna Brendle, dated January 15, 2003, Ms. Brendle reported that Henson greeted Peary and stated, “I think I’m the first man on top of the world.” She stated that Peary became angry and would not speak to Henson afterwards for a period a period time.
Matthew Henson died in 1955 and was buried at Woodlawn Cemetery in New York City. In 1968, his wife, Lucy Ross was laid to rest in Woodlawn close to her husband. Permission was granted by President Ronald Regan for both bodies to be reinterred in Arlington Cemetery in 1987, at the request of Dr. S. Allen Counter of Harvard University. They were reinterred near the graves of Robert Peary and his wife Josephine Deibitsch Peary.
In 2000, Matthew Alexander Henson was posthumously awarded National Geographic’s highest honor, the Hubbard Medal. His great niece, Audrey Mebane accepted the award on his behalf.
PICTURES: Top Row: Matthew Henson, courtesy of the Library of Congress. Second L: Matthew Henson's grave marker. Second R: Matthew Henson's grave marker, back. Third L: Monument to Robert Peary. Third R: Close up of monument. Bottom Row: Memorials to Matthew Henson and Robert Peary. In the background can be seen the memorial to the victims of 911.
SOURCES:
Internet
"Matthew Henson." FindaGrave.com, Web. 15 Apr. 2010.
"Matthew A. Henson 1866 - 1955 Co-Discoverer of the North Pole with Peary April 6, 1909", Matthew Henson
Robert Peary and the North Pole, Web. 15 Apr. 2010.
"Matthew Alexander Henson" Arlington Cemetery Website, Web. 15 Apr. 2010.
Michael E. Ross, "Black Man on Top of the World", The Root.com, Web. 15 Apr. 2010.
"Profile: African-American North Pole Explorer Matthew Henson, by Anna Brendle for National Geographic
News", National Geographic, Web. 15 Apr. 2010.
Site Visit
Gravesite. Arlington National Cemetery, Arlington, VA. 30 Apr. 2010.
INTERRED: Arlington National Cemetery
SUBMITTED: May 1, 2010. Pictures taken April 30, 2010, except black/white picture.
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