Edmund Hillary

Sir Edmund Hillary (1919–2008) was a New Zealand mountaineer and explorer. In 1953 he and Sherpa climber Tenzing Norgay made the first confirmed ascent of Mount Everest, reaching the summit on 29 May as part of a British expedition led by John Hunt. Hillary later took part in further expeditions, including journeys in Antarctica and the Himalayas. He was also an author, writing autobiographical and expedition accounts that reflected on exploration, teamwork, and endurance. Over his lifetime he became one of New Zealand’s most internationally recognized figures, associated with high-altitude mountaineering and polar travel.