The last known surviving passenger pigeon was named Martha. She died at the Cincinnati Zoo on September 1, 1914, bringing an official end to a species that had once gathered in enormous flocks across eastern North America.
Passenger pigeons were famous for their mass migrations. In the 19th century, observers reported flocks so large that they darkened the sky for hours. Despite their abundance, commercial hunting and the destruction of forests rapidly reduced their numbers. By the early 20th century, only a few captive birds remained.
Martha was named after Martha Washington, the first First Lady of the United States. She had been kept in captivity and was generally believed to be about 29 years old when she died, although historical records about her early life are uncertain. Her body was frozen in a 300-pound block of ice and shipped to the Smithsonian, where it was preserved. “Incas,” Martha’s mate, died in 1910; “Benjamin” was the last known Carolina parakeet, not the last passenger pigeon.