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How did Matthew Henson travel to the North Pole?
In 1906 with the support of President Theodore Roosevelt, Peary and Henson managed to get within 174 miles of the North Pole by ship using a state-of-the-art ice breaker. On the three-masted steam-powered schooner called the Roosevelt, Peary and Henson made it closer to the pole than on any expedition to date.
Is Matthew Henson dead?
Deceased (1866–1955)
Matthew Henson/Living or Deceased
What did Matthew Henson invent?
the North Pole
Matthew Henson was an African American explorer best known as the co-discoverer of the North Pole with Robert Edwin Peary in 1909.
What is Matthew Henson’s full name?
Matthew Alexander Henson
| Matthew Henson | |
|---|---|
| Born | Matthew Alexander HensonAugust 8, 1866 Nanjemoy, Maryland, U.S. |
| Died | March 9, 1955 (aged 88) The Bronx, New York, US |
| Resting place | Arlington National Cemetery |
| Known for | Arctic explorer, claimed as the first to reach the geographic North Pole |
What are some fun facts about Matthew Henson?
Matthew Henson may have been the first person to stand at the North Pole. He reached the Pole as a member of an expedition to the Arctic led by the explorer Robert E. Peary in 1909. Matthew Alexander Henson was born in Maryland on August 8, 1866.
Who was Matthew Henson and what did he do?
Donald and Miriam MacMillan via Bowdoin College Matthew Henson was popular with members of the crew he traveled with and Indigenous peoples he met along the way. Together with Peary, Henson explored the world.
How did Matthew Henson contribute to Arctic exploration?
Matthew Henson’s contributions to Arctic exploration went largely ignored until later in his life. But in 1988, the National Geographic Society determined Peary likely missed the North Pole by 30 to 60 miles. Henson’s book had claimed Peary checked their location using a sextant, though he never told Henson the results.
Why did Matthew Henson go to the pole with Peary?
Henson was fluent in the native tongue of the Inughuit tribe, had impeccable navigation skills, and was handy with building sledges and stoves. “Henson, the colored man, went to the Pole with Peary because he was a better man than any of his white assistants,” MacMillan continued, “As Peary himself admitted, ‘I can’t get along without Henson.’”
Where did Matthew Henson work as a cabin boy?
After working briefly in a restaurant, he walked all the way to Baltimore, Maryland, and found work as a cabin boy on the ship Katie Hines. Its skipper, Captain Childs, took Henson under his wing and saw to his education, which included instruction in the finer points of seamanship.