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Tenzing Norgay, (Nepalese: “Wealthy-Fortunate Follower of Religion”) Norgay also spelled Norkey or Norkay, original name Namgyal Wangdi, (born May 15, 1914?, Khumbu region, Nepal?—died May 9, 1986, Darjeeling [now Darjiling], West Bengal, India), Nepali-Indian Sherpa mountaineer who in 1953 became, with Edmund Hillary of New Zealand, the first person to set foot on the summit of Mount Everest, the world’s highest peak (approximately 29,035 feet [8,850 metres]; see Researcher’s Note: Height of Mount Everest).

Tenzing Norgay See all media Born: May 15, 1914? Nepal? Died: May 9, 1986 Darjeeling India

Tenzing Norgay and Edmund Hillary There is uncertainty about Namgyal Wangdi’s early life. He claimed to have been born in the Khumbu region of Nepal (near Everest), an area that is home to the Sherpas. Some sources, however, state that his birthplace was Tshechu, Tibet (now Tibet Autonomous Region, China). It is known that his parents were Tibetan. Namgyal Wangdi likely grew up in the Khumbu village of Thame, and at some point he took the name Tenzing Norgay. He worked for several years for an affluent family in Khumjung, and, as a teen, he ran away from difficult conditions and settled in Darjeeling (now Darjiling), West Bengal, India. At age 19 he was chosen as a porter for his first expedition; in 1935 he accompanied Eric Shipton’s reconnaissance expedition of Everest. In the next few years Tenzing took part in more Everest expeditions than any other climber.

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Tenzing Norgay and Edmund Hillary

After World War II Tenzing became a sirdar, or organizer of porters, and in this capacity accompanied a number of expeditions. In 1952 the Swiss made two attempts on the southern route up Everest, on both of which Tenzing was sirdar. He went as sirdar of the British Everest expedition of 1953 and formed the second summit pair with Hillary. From a tent at 27,900 feet (8,500 metres) on the Southeast Ridge, they reached the summit at 11:30 AM on May 29. He spent 15 minutes there “taking photographs and eating mint cake,” and, as a devout Buddhist, he left an offering of food.

After his feat he was regarded as a legendary hero by many Nepalese and Indians. His many honours included Britain’s George Medal and the Star of Nepal (Nepal Tara). Man of Everest (1955; also published as Tiger of the Snows), written in collaboration with James Ramsey Ullman, is an autobiography. After Everest (1978), as told to Malcolm Barnes, tells of his travels after the Everest ascent and his directorship of the Field Training Himalayan Mountaineering Institute in Darjeeling, which the Indian government established in 1954. Tenzing: Hero of Everest (2003), a biography of Tenzing Norgay by mountaineer and journalist Ed Douglas, is a sensitive appreciation of his life, achievements, and disappointments.

The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica This article was most recently revised and updated by Amy Tikkanen. Home Sports & Recreation Games, Hobbies & Recreational Activities Edmund Hillary New Zealand explorer Also known as: Sir Edmund Percival Hillary Written and fact-checked by Last Updated: May 14, 2023 • Article History Recent News May. 14, 2023, 3:09 AM ET (AP) Sherpa climbs Everest 26th time, matching record set by fellow Nepalese guide A Sherpa guide has scaled Mount Everest for the 26th time, matching the record set by a fellow Nepalese guide for the most ascents of the world's highest peak Top Questions What was Edmund Hillary’s early life like? What did Edmund Hillary accomplish? Why was Edmund Hillary so influential? Edmund Hillary, in full Sir Edmund Percival Hillary, (born July 20, 1919, Auckland, New Zealand—died January 11, 2008, Auckland), New Zealand mountain climber and Antarctic explorer who, with the Tibetan mountaineer Tenzing Norgay, was the first to reach the summit of Mount Everest (29,035 feet [8,850 metres]; see Researcher’s Note: Height of Mount Everest), the highest mountain in the world.

Edmund Hillary See all media Born: July 20, 1919 Auckland New Zealand Died: January 11, 2008 (aged 88) Notable Works: “High Adventure” “The Crossing of Antarctica” Hillary’s father was a beekeeper, an occupation he also pursued. He began climbing in New Zealand’s Southern Alps while in high school. After military service in World War II, he resumed climbing and became determined to scale Everest. In 1951 he joined a New Zealand party to the central Himalayas and later that year participated in a British reconnaissance expedition of the southern flank of Everest. He was subsequently invited to join the team of mountaineers planning to climb the peak.

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Tenzing Norgay and Edmund Hillary

The well-organized expedition was launched in the spring of 1953, and a high camp from which to mount attempts at the summit was established by mid-May. After a pair of climbers failed to reach the top on May 27, Hillary and Tenzing set out for it early on May 29; by late morning they were standing on the summit. The two shook hands, then Tenzing embraced his partner. Hillary took photographs, and both searched for signs that George Mallory, a British climber lost on Everest in 1924, had been on the summit. Hillary left behind a crucifix, and Tenzing, a Buddhist, made a food offering. After spending about 15 minutes on the peak, they began their descent. They were met back at camp by their colleague W.G. Lowe, to whom Hillary reputedly said, “Well, George, we knocked the bastard off.” Hillary described his exploits in High Adventure (1955). He made other expeditions to the Everest region during the early 1960s but never again tried to climb to the top.

Between 1955 and 1958 Hillary commanded the New Zealand group participating in the British Commonwealth Trans-Antarctic Expedition led by Vivian (later Sir Vivian) Fuchs. He reached the South Pole by tractor on January 4, 1958, and recorded this feat in The Crossing of Antarctica (1958; with Fuchs) and No Latitude for Error (1961). On his expedition of Antarctica in 1967, he was among those who scaled Mount Herschel (10,941 feet [3,335 metres]) for the first time. In 1977 he led the first jet boat expedition up the Ganges River and continued by climbing to its source in the Himalayas. His autobiography, Nothing Venture, Nothing Win, was published in 1975.

Hillary never anticipated the acclaim that would follow the historic ascent. He was knighted in 1953, shortly after the expedition returned to London. From 1985 to 1988 he served as New Zealand’s high commissioner to India, Nepal, and Bangladesh. Over the years numerous other honours were bestowed on him, including the Order of the Garter in 1995. Throughout it, however, he maintained a high level of humility, and his main interest came to be the welfare of the Himalayan peoples of Nepal, especially the Sherpas. Through the Himalayan Trust, which he founded in 1960, he built schools, hospitals, and airfields for them. This dedication to the Sherpas lasted into his later years and was recognized in 2003, when, as part of the observance of the 50th anniversary of his and Tenzing’s climb, he was made an honorary citizen of Nepal.

The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica This article was most recently revised and updated by John P. Rafferty.