Sir Edmund Hillary, 1919-2008

Edmund Percival Hillary—mountaineer, explorer, writer and humanitarian—was born in Auckland, New Zealand on July 20, 1919. As a member of John Hunt's British Mount Everest Expedition, Hillary reached the summit of Mt. Everest with fellow mountaineer Tenzing Norgay in 1953. For this he was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II.

As part of the Commonwealth Trans-Antarctic Expedition from 1955 to 1958, led by Sir Vivian Fuchs, he and a New Zealand expeditionary party reached the South Pole in 1958. In September and October of 1977, Hillary undertook another of his major adventures—an expedition of three jet boats against the current up the Ganges River of India from the ocean to its source in the Himalayan peaks.

In 1985, Hillary accompanied Neil Armstrong in a small, twin-engine ski plane over the Arctic Ocean and landed at the North Pole. He thus became the first man to stand at both poles as well as the summit of Everest. That same year, Hillary was appointed New Zealand High Commissioner (Ambassador) to India, Nepal and Bangladesh, and spent four and a half years based in New Delhi.

On June 19, 1995, Hillary received the Noble Order of the Garter from Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. As New Zealand's living legend, he was bestowed the honor of the 1997 Humanitarian of the Year award by Variety Clubs International.

Sir Edmund Hillary’s affection for the Himalayas and its people has always endured and is perhaps best reflected by his establishment of a medical and educational charity, the Himalayan Trust, for the Sherpa peoples of Nepal, which since 1961 has built hospitals, airfields, and numerous schools.

In 1999, his biography "View from The Summit" was released, and Sir Edmund celebrated his 80th birthday with a dinner hosted by Governor General Sir Michael and Lady Hardie Boys at Government House in Wellington, New Zealand.

Sir Edmund's health had been in decline since April when he suffered a fall while in Nepal. He is survived by his wife Lady June Hillary and two children Peter and Sarah.