A famous mountaineer and explorer from New Zealand, Sir Edmund Percival Hillary was born on July 20, 1919 and died January 11, 2008. Hillary was best known for his (along with Sherpa Tenzing Norgay's) successful first summit of Mount Everest in 1953. As part of the 400 person Hunt Expedition, the duo made it to the top, overcoming the now famous 40ft vertical rock face called the 'Hillary Step' in the process. Once at the top, they only stayed for 15 minutes; Hillary left a cross, Tenzing left some chocolate.
Upon their descent, they were greeted by fellow mountaineer George Lowe. Hillary's famous first words upon meeting his friend were: "Well George, we finally knocked the bastard off."
Hillary continued his adventurous ways, climbing multiple peaks throughout the Himalayas, reaching the South Pole, and travelling the Ganges River from mouth to source. Additionally, he travelled with Neil Armstrong over the Arctic Ocean by ski plane to the North Pole, thereby becoming the first man to stand on both poles and the summit of Everest. |