Everest pioneer Sir Edmund Hillary dies at 88

Sir Edmund Hillary, the famous Everest pioneer and do-gooder, died on January 11 at 88 years old. Hillary, along with Tenzing Norgay (who died in 1986), became the first known humans to summit Everest (May 29, 1953). He was a bee keeper from New Zealand, and though his life was filled with huge achievements and adventure, he always remained humble and was very dedicated to giving back to the people of Tenzing's homeland, Nepal, and set up numerous schools and clinics across this region. His death is the loss not only of a great explorer but of an outstanding and generous human being.

To read National Geographic's article on Hillary's death, view http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2008/01/080110-AP-hillary.html.