A brief overview of the main works and achievements of Joseph Henry, an eminent American scientist, the first director of the now world-famous Smithsonian Institute, is presented. He discovered many physical phenomena, but did not write about them and did not receive patents. Therefore, his discoveries were reopened by other people and bear their names. The name of Henry himself carries a unit of inductance. Henry was among the first 50 outstanding scientists included by President Lincoln in the US Academy of Sciences, and since 1868 was its permanent president.Discoveries and inventions made by Joseph Henry, underlie the work of most electrical devices. He created the most powerful electromagnet of that time, the world's first electromagnetic relay and electric bell, developed the first in the US model of a telegraph with an audible signal, provided unselfish support in the works of S.F. Morse and A.G. Bella. Henry discovered the phenomena of electromagnetic self-induction and transformation, conducted numerous meteorological observations. Being the main scientific adviser to the US government, he laid down the scientific foundations of weather forecasting methods and organized a federal meteorological service. There are interesting facts from Henry's life and work.