2016-07-20 Wed

A person who had seen it all..the North Pole the South Pole and the Mt Everest!

Edmund Hillary, the first man to climb the highest mountain in the world, was born today on 20th July 1919.

Sir Edmund Percival Hillary was a New Zealand mountaineer, explorer and philanthropist. On 29 May 1953, Hillary and Nepalese Sherpa mountaineer Tenzing Norgay became the first climbers to reach the summit of Mount Everest.

Hillary was named by Time as one of the 100 most influential people of the 20th century. Amongst much recognition by many countries around the world, the Government of India conferred on him its second highest civilian award, the Padma Vibhushan, posthumously, in 2008.

In 1992 Edmund Hillary was honoured by featuring him on a New Zealand $5 banknote, thus making him the only New Zealander to appear on a banknote during his or her lifetime.

Many countries from all over the world also have honoured him on their stamps like; Tokelau, Guinea-Bissau, Romania, New Zealand, Marshal Islands, Zambia, Monaco, Liberia and etc.

India Post in October 1953 issued a FDC commemorating the conquest of Mt Everest. The FDC features the famous picture of Tenzing Norgay with his ice-axe as clicked by Hillary.