Matthew Henson

Matthew Alexander Henson was an African American explorer who accompanied Robert Peary on seven voyages to the Arctic over a period of nearly 23 years. They spent a total of 18 years on expeditions together. He is best known for his participation in the 1908–1909 expedition that claimed to have reached the geographic North Pole on April 6, 1909. Henson said he was the first of their party to reach the North Pole.

8 August 1866

Born on the same birth day (8 August): Aldo Calderón van Dyke • Anita Włodarczyk • Anton Fig • Chris Foreman • Friedrich Georg Weitsch • Hans Egede Budtz • JC Chasez • John Hudek • Johnny Temple • Kateryna Volodko • Ladislas Starevich • Mamoru Oshii • Nélson Oliveira

Born in the same month (August 1866): Carl Harries • Charles Jean de la Vallée Poussin • Giovanni Agnelli • Harry Trott • Henrik Sillem • Italo Santelli • Jacinto Benavente • Mahboob Ali Khan • Mahboob Ali Khan