Edmund Hillary was born on July 20, 1919, in Auckland, New Zealand, and passed away on January 11, 2008, in the same city. He was a renowned mountain climber and Antarctic explorer, best known for being the first, alongside Nepali-Indian mountaineer Tenzing Norgay, to reach the summit of Mount Everest, the world’s highest peak at 29,035 feet (8,850 meters). This historic achievement took place on May 29, 1953. Hillary’s father was a beekeeper, a profession Edmund also took up. His passion for climbing began during his high school years in New Zealand’s Southern Alps. After serving in World War II, he resumed climbing and set his sights on Everest. In 1951, he joined a New Zealand expedition to the central Himalayas and later participated in a British reconnaissance of Everest’s southern flank, which led to his invitation to join the 1953 British Everest expedition.
The 1953 expedition was meticulously planned, and by mid-May, a high camp was established for summit attempts. After an initial pair failed to reach the top on May 27, Hillary and Tenzing set out early on May 29 and reached the summit by late morning. They spent about 15 minutes on the peak, during which Hillary took photographs and both searched for signs of George Mallory, a British climber lost on Everest in 1924. Hillary left a crucifix, while Tenzing made a food offering. Upon their return, Hillary famously remarked to teammate W.G. Lowe, “Well, George, we knocked the bastard off.” He later documented this achievement in his book High Adventure (1955). Although he led other expeditions to the Everest region in the early 1960s, he never attempted to summit again.
Beyond Everest, Hillary was an accomplished Antarctic explorer. Between 1955 and 1958, he led the New Zealand team in the British Commonwealth Trans-Antarctic Expedition, reaching the South Pole by tractor on January 4, 1958. He chronicled these adventures in The Crossing of Antarctica (1958; with Vivian Fuchs) and No Latitude for Error (1961). In 1967, he was part of the first team to scale Mount Herschel (10,941 feet [3,335 meters]) in Antarctica. In 1977, he led a jet boat expedition up the Ganges River and climbed to its source in the Himalayas. His autobiography, Nothing Venture, Nothing Win, was published in 1975.
Hillary never expected the fame that followed his Everest ascent. He was knighted in 1953 and served as New Zealand’s high commissioner to India, Nepal, and Bangladesh from 1985 to 1988. Among his many honors was the Order of the Garter in 1995. Despite his accolades, he remained humble and dedicated much of his life to improving the welfare of Nepal’s Himalayan peoples, particularly the Sherpas. Through the Himalayan Trust, which he founded in 1960, he built schools, hospitals, and airfields. His contributions were recognized in 2003 when he was made an honorary citizen of Nepal during the 50th anniversary celebrations of his and Tenzing’s historic climb. Hillary’s legacy endures not only as a pioneering mountaineer but also as a humanitarian deeply committed to the communities he cherished.