Sir Edmund Hillary: Reaching the Top of the World

Long before he became a world-famous explorer, Edmund Hillary was a quiet boy growing up in Auckland, New Zealand. Born in 1919, Edmund was smaller than many of his classmates and often escaped into books to satisfy his hunger for adventure. He spent his youth dreaming of far-off places, but he did not discover his true passion until a school trip to Mount Ruapehu when he was sixteen years old. Seeing snow for the first time, Edmund realized he loved the thrill of the outdoors. He quickly fell in love with mountain climbing.

To support his climbing habit, Edmund worked as a beekeeper with his brother, Rex. Tending to millions of bees was hard work, but it kept Edmund in excellent physical shape. More importantly, because bees hibernate during the cold winter months, Edmund had the winters free to climb. He spent his seasons off conquering the icy peaks of New Zealand’s Southern Alps. He practiced climbing on glaciers, which are massive, slow-moving rivers of ice. This rigorous training prepared him for the ultimate challenge: the mighty Himalayas.

In 1953, Edmund was invited to join a British expedition aiming to climb Mount Everest, the tallest mountain on Earth. At the time, no human had ever reached its peak. Many had tried, but the extreme cold, howling winds, and thin air made the journey incredibly dangerous. Climbers had to carry heavy oxygen tanks just to breathe. Edmund was paired with Tenzing Norgay, an experienced Sherpa guide from Nepal. Sherpas are local people famous for their incredible climbing skills and knowledge of the mountains. Edmund and Tenzing quickly developed a deep trust and became an unstoppable team.

On May 29, 1953, the two men made their final push toward the summit. The conditions were brutal, and they faced a terrifying obstacle near the top—a giant, forty-foot rock wall that seemed impossible to climb. Using his strength and clever technique, Edmund wedged himself into a crack in the ice and rock, slowly hauling himself up. This spot is now famously known as the "Hillary Step." He then helped Tenzing up behind him.

At 11:30 a.m., Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay took their final steps onto the top of the world. They had reached the summit of Mount Everest, standing 29,032 feet above sea level. They embraced in celebration, took photographs to prove their achievement, and buried a small cross and some sweets in the snow as an offering. They could only stay for fifteen minutes because their oxygen supply was running low, but those fifteen minutes changed history.

When they returned down the mountain, news of their success spread across the globe. Edmund was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II, becoming "Sir Edmund Hillary." Despite his global fame, Sir Ed, as he was warmly called, remained a humble man. He spent the rest of his life giving back to the people of Nepal. He founded the Himalayan Trust, which built schools, hospitals, bridges, and runways for the Sherpa communities. Sir Edmund Hillary proved that with determination, even the tallest obstacles in life can be conquered.