1919-

New Zealand Mountaineer and Explorer

Born in Auckland, New Zealand, in 1919, this future world figure started his adult life as a beekeeper. His interest in climbing began in the New Zealand Alps and, in 1951, he joined a group that was headed for the Himalayan range and a reconnaissance of the south face of Mount Everest. In 1953 he and his Sherpa guide, Tenzing Norgay, became the first persons to reach the summit of this famed mountain.

Mount Everest had been attracting climbers since 1920, and in the subsequent 32 years seven major expeditions failed to reach the summit—some individuals losing their lives along the way. The peak stands at 29,028 feet (8,848 m)—higher than any other solid form on Earth. (It is more than twice the height of Mt. Whitney in California, which is the highest point in the continental United States.) Everest rises...