So Unfortunate: Sir Edmund Hillary announces unexpected end to career due to…

Who Was Edmund Hillary?

In 1953, Edmund Hillary and Tibetan climber Tenzing Norgay were the first to reach the summit of Mount Everest. Hillary later participated in expeditions to the South Pole and was among the first to reach the top of Mount Herschel. He also cultivated resources for the people of Nepal.

Early Life

Although he rose to great heights climbing Mount Everest, Hillary described himself as “a small and rather lonely child.” He was born Edmund Percival Hillary on July 20, 1919, in Auckland, New Zealand, to Gertrude and Percival Hillary. As a young child, the family lived in a small village called Tuakau, where Hillary attended primary school.