Sir Edmund Hillary of New Zealand was a one-shot celebrity only in that his "career high" that made him famous was being the first mountain climber to reach he top of the world on Mt. Everest, 29,028 feet up. With Sherpa guide Tenzing Norgay, the tall, lanky, 33-year-old Hillary made this iconic accomplishment on May 29, 1953.
Since that time, and until his death from heart failure in 2008, Hillary was the world's best-known mountaineer/explorer. He also made it to both poles and eventually conquered 10 other Himilayan mountains. Norgay died in 1986.
Until his famous climb, Hillary had been, like his dad, a beekeeper. Growing up, he had been strong, but non-athletic, with the exception of boxing.
The Everest climb was made as part of a climbing party led by John Hunt, who also was knighted by the then-young Queen Elizabeth II, whose coronation happened to be on the same day that word of Hillary's triumph reached Britain.
Sir Edmund liked to be called Ed and had the reputation of being shy and modest about his accomplishments.
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