American explorer, politician, and author.
Hiram Bingham was a scholar, author, explorer, and politician, best remembered for discovering Machu Picchu. Born Hiram Bingham III to missionary parents in Hawaii, he gradually distanced himself from the missionary lifestyle and entered Yale with the goal of becoming a professor. He continued his education at the Universities of California and Harvard, specializing in Latin American history, and taught at Harvard, Princeton, and Yale. His marriage to Alfreda Mitchell, heir to the Tiffany fortune, allowed him to travel in Latin America, and led to his discovery of Machu Picchu in the Peruvian Andes. He wrote several books about his famous discovery and other travels; he also served as a pilot in World War I, organizing flying schools in America and Europe. After the war he briefly served as Governor of Connecticut before becoming a Senator from that state, retiring in 1932 to pursue business interests. He is considered a pioneer in Latin American history, and he helped popularize Latin America for the American public.
Explorer, educator, lecturer, and governor of and U.S. senator from Connecticut.