Tenzing Norgay (1914-1986) was a well-known Nepalese mountaineer who set a record in 1952 by climbing 28,215 feet of Mt. Everest, the tallest mountain in the world. The following year he and Edmund Hillary became the first persons to reach its summit.

Tenzing Norgay was born on May 15, 1914 in Solo Khumbu, Nepal, a member of the Sherpa tribe. Sherpas have long been known for their positive spirit, strength, and mountain skills. When Europeans began exploring the Himalayas in the early part of the 20th century, they usually came to Darjeeling, India, and hired Sherpas to assist with their expeditions. Before long, this custom became an official system. Sherpas were registered as an elite force of expedition assistants. In Nepal, where Westerners were forbidden to go, Sherpas heard about this work and each year more young men headed to Darjeeling in search of jobs with mountaineering expeditions.

In 1933, Tenzing went to...