Tributes To Sir Edmund Hillary, The First to the Top of The World

by Rob Walker | January 11, 2008 at 05:09 pm | 611 views | add comment

Tibet, Rongpuk Monastery (5300m) - Mount Everest

The first man ever to reach the summit of Mount Everest died on January 10th, 2008, leaving behind a legacy of exploration and adventure that would leave even Indiana Jones green with envy.

Leaders from around the world spoke about his courage today.

Look for NowPublic coverage of Sir Edmund's death here. [q
url="http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20080111/wl_uk_afp/nzealandeverestpeoplehillarybritain"]

Queen Elizabeth II on Friday led Britain in tributes to Edmund Hillary, the first man to conquer Mount Everest, as public figures and fellow adventurers hailed him as a hero and an inspiration.

"The queen is very saddened to learn of his death and will be sending a personal message of sympathy to his widow and family," a royal official told AFP after the New Zealander's death at age 88 was announced earlier Friday.[/q][q
url="http://www.hindu.com/thehindu/holnus/002200801111821.htm"]Paying rich tributes to Sir Edmund Hillary, President Pratibha Patil on Friday described the mountaineer as one of the century's greatest adventurers who represented a positive approach to life."Sir Edmund Hillary represented the positive approach to life, which was described by him after his conquest of Mount Everest," the President said.[/q][q
url="http://www.indianmuslims.info/news/2008/jan/11/ban_mourns_death_sir_edmund_hillary.html"]Secretary-General
Ban Ki-moon on Friday paid tribute to Sir Edmund Hillary who gave
"profound meaning to the concepts of courage and exploration."

"Sir Edmund not only climbed to one of the purest victories known to
humankind, thereby championing and pioneering an awareness of the
treasures of our Earth -- he also worked to build health and education
in the communities around him," his press office said in a
statement.[/q]

WORLD leaders, friends and climbers who followed his lead mourned Sir Edmund Hillary's passing. Acting Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard lauded Sir Edmund as a hero.

"Sir Edmund's name is synonymous with adventure, with achievement, with dreaming and then making those dreams come true," she said.

Governor-General Anand Satyanand said Hillary would be mourned throughout the world.

"The loss of Sir Edmund is a loss for all those who sought to improve our world," Satyanand said.

"Through his many achievements in the Himalayas, Nepal, Antarctica,
India and elsewhere, Sir Edmund was an important role model. He was a
leader who showed how to set goals and achieve them."

National Party Leader John Key said Sir Ed was a man that all New Zealanders could be truly
proud of. He says it's a sad day for the country and offers his
sympathies to the Hillary family.