New Zealand's Sir Edmund Hillary, who along with Nepal's Tenzing Norgay Sherpa became the first to conquer Mount Everest, died in hospital on Friday, 11 January, 2008.New Zealand flags flew at half mast at Scott Base in Antarctica on Friday, mourning the loss of one of the greatest adventurers of the 20th century.
In Nepal, Sherpa friends lit butter lamps and offered special Buddhist prayers in monasteries for the mountaineer, calling him a great philanthropist and friend of Nepal. Ed's greatest legacy is the assistance he gave to the Sherpa people," said Mr Dingle. "As a result of seeing Nepal and his love of the mountains and the people, he went back and suggested that he could help in some way." Known to the Sherpa people as Burra-sahib – meaning "big in stature, big in heart" – Sir Edmund never forgot the place that gave him, in every sense, his international prominence.
In 2003, Hillary received honorary Nepali citizenship in recognition of his services to the people and the Solukhumbhu region where Mount Everest is located.
Mount Everest was named after Sir George Everest, the surveyor-general of India who was the first to produce detailed maps of the Indian subcontintent including the Himalayas.
Mr Hillary took several photographs of the scenery and of Sherpa Tenzing waving flags representing India, Britain, Nepal, and the United Nations from world's highest mountain top.
In 1960, Hillary – who served as New Zealand High Commissioner to India in Delhi from 1984 to 1989 – established The Himalayan Trust, which helped build three hospitals, 13 health clinics and more than 30 schools.
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