Edmund Hillary was one of the first two people confirmed to reach Mount Everest’s summit.
Hillary, a New Zealand beekeeper and mountaineer, reached the summit on 29 May 1953 with Tenzing Norgay, a Sherpa climber from Nepal. They were members of the ninth British expedition to attempt Everest, led by John Hunt.
The pair climbed via the South Col route and stood at the summit at about 11:30 a.m. Their success was announced on the day of Queen Elizabeth II’s coronation, adding to the event’s international significance. Hillary later devoted much of his life to helping the Sherpa people through the Himalayan Trust.
George Mallory and Andrew Irvine may have reached the summit in 1924, but they disappeared during their attempt and no confirmed evidence established that they succeeded. Hillary and Norgay therefore remain the first confirmed summit pair.