100 years ago today, Sir Edmund Hillary - the first of two people (along with Nepalese Sherpa Tenzing Norgay) confirmed to have conquered Mount Everest - was born.
Born in Auckland on July 20th, 1919, Hillary was part of the ninth British expedition to the World’s highest mountain, which was led by John Hunt (1953).
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| In NZRAF uniform |
He first became interested in mountaineering at secondary school, making his first major climb in 1939 (Mount Ollivier in his native New Zealand) and after 2nd World War service in the NZ Royal Air Force, he was part of a British reconnaissance expedition to Everest in 1951, culminating in conquering the summit 2 years later.
Hillary talks of the 1953 Everest expedition
In future years he was to travel overland to the South and North Poles, becoming the first person to reach both poles and climb Everest. He also dedicated himself to helping the Sherpa people of Nepal through his Himalayan Trust, which he led until his death.
Sir Edmund died of heart failure at Auckland City Hospital in January 2008. Flags were lowered to half-mast on all NZ public buildings and he was given a state funeral by his adoring nation.
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