Commander William Lewis Herndon was born on 25th October 1813, Virginia, USA, and he died on 12th September 1857 (aged 44 years), North Carolina, USA. A naval officer and explorer, William is well-known for his exploration of the Valley of Amazon which was mostly unknown at that time. He worked his way treading 4,336 miles exploring the main river and its tributaries through thick forests to the heights of over 16,000 ft. He made a detailed report which was published and widely circulated and cited in the future works of natural history and ethnology of other people.
Do you know: William saved 152 women and children when the ship they were sailing in got sunk; they chose to remain with 400 others who perished. This was one of the biggest tragedies in the history of the US.
