![]() Tenzing Norgay
On May 29, 1953, Tenzing Norgay and teammate Edmund
Hillary reached the summit of Mt. Everest. Tenzing
received instant acclaim for his unprecedented achievement.
He quickly became a global ambassador for the Sherpa
people. Here are a few facts to know:
Born: 1914. This is an approximation based on the Tibetan
lunar calendar. At the time of Tenzing's birth, the
Sherpas did not keep written birth records.
Birthplace: Tsa-chu, Nepal.
Raised in: Thami, Nepal (a village near the border of Tibet, and close to Mt. Everest).
Family: One of 13 children.
Languages: Spoke seven languages, but never learned how to
write.
Work: 1933 moved to Darjeeling, India, to work as a trekking
porter.
War Years: Indian army ski instructor.
Everest Trips:
1953 Reaches summit at age 39.
Died: May 9, 1986.
To learn more about Tenzing Norgay, go to NOVA Online's
site about Tenzing: http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/nova/everest/history/norgay.html
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