Profile of the Day: Matthew Henson

Posted April 6, 2021 by Amanda | No Comment

Does your family tree have an adventurous streak? On this day in 1909, explorers Matthew Henson and Robert Peary became the first men to reach the North Pole.

Image: Matthew Henson / Library of Congress

Matthew Henson was born on August 8, 1866 to freeborn black sharecroppers on a farm in Nanjemoy, Maryland. In 1887, Henson met Peary and was recruited to join Peary’s surveying expedition to Nicaragua. Soon Henson became Peary’s “first man” on expeditions.

Henson holds the distinction of being the first African American Arctic explorer. He came to master the Inuit language and became very skilled in driving the dog sleds in the Inuit way. These skills came to be of great in importance in his team’s successful exploration of the Arctic.

Explore Matthew Henson’s family tree on Geni and share your connection to the Arctic explorer. 

View Matthew Henson’s Geni Profile

Post written by Amanda

Amanda is the Marketing Communications Manager at Geni. If you need any assistance, she will be happy to help!

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