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): Anton Fig • Bill Voce • Brett Ratliff • Countess Amalia Katharina of Waldeck • Donald P. Bellisario • Dustin Hoffman • Hans Egede Budtz • Jimmy Murphy (footballer) • Jimmy Steele (Irish republican) • Joe Bethancourt • John David Wilson • Károly Reich • Margaret Urban Walker • Michael Urie • Miho Shiraishi • Nick Holtam • Norbert Michelisz • Ron Klain • Simon Taylor (journalist) • Terry Nation • The Edge • Thomas Anstey Guthrie • Ulrich Maly • Vladimír Darida • Yūki Amami

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