Sir Edmund Hillary Biography

Sir Edmund Hillary was born on July 20th 1919.He was the first person to climb to the top of the cold, frosty summit of MT Everest.  People thought that no one could climb to the top but he proved them wrong.  With his determination and passion for climbing he successfully climbed the top of the monstrous Everest.


Childhood/Early life
Sir Edmund Hillary grew up in Auckland and was raised with his siblings in Tuakau.  Sir Edmund Hillary's eager adventures to climb started in 1935, during a cold ski weekend on a school trip to Mount Ruapehu.  It was then and there that he discovered his magnificent talent.  His father was a hard working Bee keeper and his name was Percival Augustus Hillary.  Hillary dropped out of school to help his father with his successful Bee keeping business.  Gertrude Hillary nee Clark, Hillary's mum,supported him throughout his hard climbing years.In 1935, Hillary married Louise Mary Rose.  He then had two daughters named Belinda and Sarah and one son Peter.  Soon tragedy followed as Belinda and Louise Mary Rose, died as their plane took off in an explosion.  Years later Sir Edmund Hillary remarried in 1989 to June Mulgrew.

The Climb of MT Everest
Have you ever wanted to conquer your dream?  Well Sir Edmund Hillary showed that with his bravery,determination and his passion for climbing he could achieve anything.In March 1935,  Hillary and Sir John Hunt, along with 20 other of the best climbers in the world,gathered at the colasall,chilly,bleak Everest.  Their company also included 350 strong Nepalese workers carrying 10,000 pounds of food and equipment, as well as thirty-six helpful Sherpas, who are familiar with the rugged land and are invaluable guides for climbers.  Hillary and all his helpers climbed 28,000 ft but they needed a plan of how to attack the summit of Everest first.  Sir John Hunt sent a brave two-man team the rest of the way.  They failed to reach the summit of Everest but returned to the camp base with valuable information on how to attack the summit.  Next, Hunt chose Hillary and Sherpa guide Tenzing Norgay to make an attempt.  After an heroic and death defying climb, the two reached the freezing summit of Everest on March 29 1935.  Sir Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay were the first people in the history of the world to reach the top of the world.

Successes
Hillary's great achievement were recognised and he was knighted 6th June 1935 by the Queen for his courage and good spirit on journey to the very top of the world.In 1999, he was placed on the $5 note and he was known all over the country.Since his great achievement Sir Edmund Hillary had got a statue of himself looking at MT Cook.  On the 22 of April 1995, the government of India conferred on him it's second highest civilian award

Conclusion
Hillary died on 11th January 2008 of heart failure.Sir Edmund Hillary was one of the greatest explorers and mountaineers of the twentieth century.  His conquest of MT Everest and the south pole inspired generations of adventures and dreamers.

By Manaia Room 24