Edmund Hillary, First Atop Everest, Dead at 88
Sir Edmund Hillary, the first person to stand atop Mount Everest, died in Auckland, New Zealand. He was 88. Hillary along with Tenzing Norgay, his Sherpa guide, were the first to conquer the world's highest mountain in 1953.
Phillipa Tolley, a reporter with Radio New Zealand about Hillary's life, speaks with Steve Inskeep.
The first man to summit Mount Everest, Sir Edmund Hillary, has died. He was 88.
In 1953, Hillary — a beekeeper by trade — and his team reached the mountain's south peak. But, exhausted by the altitude, most team members could go no farther. Only Hillary and a native Nepalese climber, Tenzing Norgay, continued on.
David Breashears, a fellow climber, talks with Robert Siegel about the life of his friend, Sir Edmund Hillary. Breashears says Hillary initially gained fame for the climb, but afterward, he dedicated much of his life to supporting the Sherpas in the Himalayas.
Phillipa Tolley, a reporter with Radio New Zealand about Hillary's life, speaks with Steve Inskeep.
The first man to summit Mount Everest, Sir Edmund Hillary, has died. He was 88.
In 1953, Hillary — a beekeeper by trade — and his team reached the mountain's south peak. But, exhausted by the altitude, most team members could go no farther. Only Hillary and a native Nepalese climber, Tenzing Norgay, continued on.
David Breashears, a fellow climber, talks with Robert Siegel about the life of his friend, Sir Edmund Hillary. Breashears says Hillary initially gained fame for the climb, but afterward, he dedicated much of his life to supporting the Sherpas in the Himalayas.
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