Sir Edmund Hillary With temperatures well below freezing, fierce winds, thin air and sheer exhaustion, Edmund Hillary and Sherpa Tenzing Norgay did what no one in the world had ever done. On May 29, 1953, Hillary and Norgay set foot on the highest point on earth (Rosenberg). Many climbers have tried and failed, many have lost their lives, but Hillary, a beekeeper from Auckland, New Zealand, and Norgay, a Sherpa from Nepal, have made every climber's dream come true: to stand on top of the world, stand atop the beautiful Mount Everest.Edmund Hillary was born in Auckland, New Zealand to Gertrude and Percival Hillary on July 19, 1919. He was a shy, studious child. He didn't have many friends and loved to read. When he was a teenager he grew to a height of 6'5". He was clumsy at sports, so he took up boxing to boost his confidence. During a school trip to Mount Ruapehu in New Zealand's Southern Alps, he discovered her love for climbing. (Johnston) After graduating from high school, Hillary attended the University of Auckland where she studied mathematics and science. Hillary's first major climb was in the Southern Alps. This particular trip ignited his passion for climbing. While at university he also joined outdoor clubs to satisfy his love of climbing. He later enlisted in the Royal New Zealand Air Force and during the World War II suffered a severe burn in a boating accident. He recovered quickly and was then sent home. (Johnson 51)Sandefur 2After the war, Hillary had one goal in mind, to climb Mount Everest. He was determined to go where no man had been ready to get him back to climbing father, Hillary and... middle of the paper... of the Commonwealth Transantarctic Expedition. In 1958 he was part of the first expedition to the South Pole. He was the first land explorer to do so since Captain Robert F. Scott's expedition in 1912. In 1985 Sir Edmund Hillary and astronaut Neil Armstrong flew over the Arctic Ocean and landed at the Pole North, making Hillary the first person to reach both poles and the summit. of Everest. (Biography.com) Sir Edmund Hillary died on 11 January 2008. He was known to be one of New Zealand's most trusted people. Upon his death, flags across the country were lowered to half-mast. Time magazine listed him among the 100 most influential people of the 20th century. People today are still attempting to climb Everest and only a few have succeeded. Sir Edmund Hillary's passion for adventure paved the way for many explorers today. (Biography.com).