Robert Peary (1856-1920) and Matthew Henson (1866-1955) opened up the gateway to the North Pole. Peary, an engineer in the U.S. Navy, and Henson, born to poor black parents who were sharecroppers, both loved adventure and exploring. Their paths in life crossed and after three attempts, in 1909 Henson and Peary became the first people to reach the North Pole.