Sir Edmund Hillary (1919-2008)
Approximately 660 people have successfully climbed Mt. Everest -- the first of these was New Zealander Sir Edmund Hillary who completed his trek on May 29, 1953 with his Sherpa guide, Tenzing Norgay. For this Sir Edmund received his knighthood and worldwide recognition. Hillary,who died last week, also ventured to the South Pole, scaled Mount Herschel and formed a Himalayan Trust Fund to provide humanitarian aid which included the building of schools and hospitals for the Sherpas who have been essential to so many expeditions.
This extremely modest man, a beekeeper by profession, will be accorded a state funeral on January 22nd in his native New Zealand.