Sir Edmund Hillary, 88, who became the first man known to conquer the world's tallest peak, died of a heart attack early today.Knighted by Queen Elizabeth II, his triumph over Everest also came to symbolize for many Britons a postwar era of prosperity.
Sir Edmund's 29,035-foot climb up Mount Everest in 1953 was achieved amid subzero temperatures, unpredictable winds and daunting crevasses, and with a grade of equipment now considered primitive. The ascent ended a decades-long quest undertaken by countless people to test human endurance. In the 1920s, English adventurer George Mallory memorably quipped that he wanted to climb Everest "because it's there" — and perished trying.
On May 29, 1953, the successful ascent and return by Sir Edmund and Tenzing Norgay in a team led by British army Col. John Hunt made them instant celebrities.
The climbers were heralded as pioneers in the tradition of explorer Roald Amundsen, who reached the South Pole in 1911, and transatlantic aviator Charles Lindbergh.
Read more here:
No comments:
Post a Comment