I wish he had included that for decades after they achieved the Summit, Tenzig and Edmund both refused to identify who had been first to reach the top. They always just said they did it together.
It is also worth mentioning that on the second successful Everest expedition, Peter Hillary partnered up with the son of Tenzig. Peter would summit Everest 5 times in total.
when i was a kid at school his number was in the phonebook if u were doing a project on him u could call him up and he'd be happy to talk to u. this was in early two thousands
@@thoughtsofimpact2488 what you got against my conservative right wing views hell yeah make aotearoa polynesian again retake the land dolled out to all those 12 fingered farmers
There’s something hilariously adorable about how the man who literally conquered the greatest of mountains was too shy to directly propose to his wife.
@@wendyraines8011 You kiddin? Guy should count himself lucky he got on any currency at all. His image is now likely scene by millions of people from his home country, solidifying his memory.
@@wendyraines8011 The way I see it is a hell of a lot more people have 5 dollar notes than oh let say 100 dollar notes. So it's probably better to be on a lower note
Tenzing Norgay definitely deserves his own episode. I love the fact that that neither ever said who was up first, although I like to believe they both put a foot down at the same time
my mother was a postie in New Zealand. Kept the same round and delivered Hillary's mail. As a by note she did 22 years without a single day off. Every Xmas there was a card for her signed by Hillary thanking her for delivering the mail to them. A true gentleman.
@@bakedhawaiiYes he did. Instead of capitalising on his fame and making a fast buck, he looked into ways that he could could help the Nepalese. Which is exactly what he did.
Edmund Hillary was truly a legendary mountaineer. Mt. Everest is no cakewalk, even with modern gear, fixed ropes, and an existing, well-established route. He (and Tenzing Norgay) had none of that; just incredible skill, strength, and resolve. What also made Edmund Hillary great was his character.
For a successful summit, you have to come back alive. So even if Mallory and Irvine made it to the top, they didn't get back alive. After seeing loads of documentaries about Mallory, I honestly think he did make it to the top. But the record still goes to Hillary and Norgay because they were the first to come back.
@@Luubelaar. That’s subjective. Depends on how you want to portray it. IF (and it IS an “if”) Mallory got to the summit first then that’s it. Mount Everest doesn’t obey a rule book written by humans.
A great Kiwi legend. makes me proud to be a kiwi too. next though i want to see you do Earnest Rutherford, the Kiwi science legend and more than worth a feature on this channel, hint hint Simon.....
There are a number of books written Mrs. Hillary about their many travels in and around Tibet. They took their children everywhere and climbed constantly. The books are geared towards younger people, but gives a fascinating look at the life of a famous climbers family. They were very active in charity work for people in the Himalayas.
Tenzing was also basically just a regular climber like the rest of the British team. He wasn't considered a Sherpa guide. The pair who made the first attempt where both British. People just assume that every pairing had 1 Sherpa in it, because Hillary and Tenzing became so famous as a pair. Also the story of that Swiss expedition is epic; plus they were so happy for British and Tenzing when they summited it.
@@luckyspurs Tenzing had reached the highest point on the mountain with the Swiss -- into the Death Zone at 8,595 meters. He had the most Everest experience of anyone on the mountain on the British expedition where he summited with Hillary, having been on expeditions in 1935, 36, 47, ad 52 before the successful 53 attempt.
I read somewhere that it's a rare man who can become famous when he's young and remain loved and respected throughout a long life. Sounds like Hilary was one of those.
Sir Edmund Hilary was far from a country bumpkin . Sir Edmund was a true man of intelligence , honour, integrity ,fair play and justice . Sir Edmund is the greatest New Zealander to ever live. Sir Ed was the greatest New Zealand hero ever. Loved watching this on my hero
Simon, I like your new channel, and as I've said before in a few other posts, I think you're quite possibly the best narrator on the net. No cheesy one liners, no indecipherable jibberish, just facts and clear speaking... Keep up the good work...:)
Visiting this from the future, it seems the "no cheesy one liners" no longer applies haha, the way certain volcanic eruptions were compared to a wet fart...
Much applause to you, Simon, for giving credit to Tenzig Norgay and the people of Nepal! 👏 They are too often left out of the narrative of this important moment in history.
Let's see now....the white guy falls into a crevasse on the way up, the brown native guy rescues him. The brown native guy summits first, etc etc. Shameful that it's not known as the Norgay expedition, even if Sir Ed was the better fundraiser. Or at least call the expedition after both of them, Tenzing Norgay's name first. sodding colonizers, all of us!!
Well said, Amina Watson. I couldn’t agree more. I hate countries that doesn’t give credit to the right person just because that person doesn’t come from a Western country.
In the 1950s the Nepalese government only allowed one team a year to attempt Mt Everest. Today, anyone with a large wallet is allowed an ascent. Hundreds each year forming long queues in the "death zone" leaving behind tons of rubbish behind. Maybe the Nepalese government should revisit their old policy.
It doesn’t matter whose expedition it was. First to the top means first to the top. There were others in the same expedition that tried but didn’t make it before Tenzing Norgay and Ed did.
