Everest Hero Edmund Hillary Dies At 88

New Zealand has lost one of the great icon, Sir Edmund Hillary who died this morning at the age of 88. Sir Edmund was the first person to stand on Mt Everest, the world's highest peak, on June 2, 1953 - the day of Queen Elizabeth's coronation.

Sir Edmund's health had reportedly been in decline since April, when he suffered a fall while visiting Nepal. Hillary, who came to characterise the typical "rugged Kiwi individual", was born in Auckland on July 20, 1919.

Sir Edmund Hillary at the 50th Anniversary of Scott Base celebrations in 2007.

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