Since the first ascent of the world's highest mountain on May 29, 1953, more than 4000 people have climbed Mt. Everest. But the first two did it with equipment that would now be considered primitive. Tibetan guide Tenzing Norgay died in 1986. Sir Edmund Hillary died today in New Zealand at the age of 88. When he returned home after climbing Mt. Everest, Hillary was knighted by Queen Elizabeth. A 20th Century pioneer, along with Charles Lindbergh and Neil Armstrong, was Hillary the first man to stand at the crest of the Himalayas at 29,000 feet? Eric Simonson is co-owner of International Mountain Guides, which leads groups up Everest.
KCRW
