Climber Edmund Hillary, Everest Pioneer, Dies at 88

Published January 10, 2008 at 6:45 PM EST

New Zealand-born mountaineer Edmund Hillary prepares for his successful attempt to be the first person to reach the summit of Mount Everest in Nepal, in May 1953.

The first man to summit Mount Everest, Sir Edmund Hillary, has died. He was 88.

In 1953, Hillary — a beekeeper by trade — and his team reached the mountain's south peak. But, exhausted by the altitude, most team members could go no farther. Only Hillary and a native Nepalese climber, Tenzing Norgay, continued on.

David Breashears, a fellow climber, talks with Robert Siegel about the life of his friend, Sir Edmund Hillary. Breashears says Hillary initially gained fame for the climb, but afterward, he dedicated much of his life to supporting the Sherpas in the Himalayas.

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SOMOS CONNECTICUT es una iniciativa de Connecticut Public, la emisora local de NPR y PBS del estado, que busca elevar nuestras historias latinas y expandir programación que alza y informa nuestras comunidades latinas locales. Visita CTPublic.org/latino para más reportajes y recursos. Para noticias, suscríbase a nuestro boletín informativo en ctpublic.org/newsletters.

The independent journalism and non-commercial programming you rely on every day is in danger.

If you’re reading this, you believe in trusted journalism and in learning without paywalls. You value access to educational content kids love and enriching cultural programming.

Now all of that is at risk.

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Together, we can defend it. It’s time to protect what matters.

Your voice has protected public media before. Now, it’s needed again. Learn how you can protect the news and programming you depend on.

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