-
Birth
Edmund Hillary was born in Auckland, New Zealand. -
Moved to Tuakau
Hillary’s family moved to Tuakau, a smaller town south of Auckland. Because his Father was allocated there. -
School trip
At the age of 16, Hillary went on a school trip to Mount Ruapehu and was exposed to climbing for the first time. He said that he "wanted to see the world." He then went on to attend Auckland University but dropped out after two years. -
First Major Climb
Hillary completed his first major climb. He reached the peak of Mount Ollivier in the Canterbury Region of New Zealand with his friend Tenzing Norgay. -
Joined the air force
Edmund Hillary served in the Royal New Zealand Air Force as a navigator during World War II. -
Brunt in a Boat accident
Hillary was sent to Solomon island, Fiji and was brunt in a boat accident. The petrol tank on the motorboat burst into flames. Edmund was bracing himself to leap overboard but a big wave hit the boat and he was thrown backwards onto the sizzling engine cover. He later had to swim 500m back to shore to get help. -
Climbed Mount Cook
Hillary climbed to the south ridge of Mount Cook, New Zealand’s highest peak. -
Switzerland Climb
Hillary went to Switzerland to climb in the Swiss Alps. It was there that he ascended Jungfrau (4,158 meters or 13,642 feet). -
New Zealand party to Himalayas
In 1951 Edmund Hilary joined a New Zealand party to the central Himalayas. -
British Team
Hillary was part of the British team that tried to climb Cho Oyu but was unsuccessful, Cho Oyu is the sixth highest mountain in the world at 26,864 feet above sea level. -
British team led by Eric Shipton.
In 1952 Edmund Hillary and George Lowe were part of the British team led by Eric Shipton. -
Top of Mount Everest
Hillary and Norgay became the first climbers to reach the summit of Mount Everest. -
Knighted By Queen
He was knighted by Queen Elizabeth and became Sir Edmund Hillary. -
Married
Sir Edmund Hillary married Louise Mary Rose after he had climbed Mount Everest the same year. -
Commonwealth Trans-Antarctic Expedition
Hillary joined the Commonwealth Trans-Antarctic Expedition to become the first group that crossed the Antarctic overland, via the South Pole. Hillary was the first man to reach both of the poles of the Earth. -
Book published
Edmund Hillary publishes his mountaineering book, High Adventure, about the summit ascent. -
Scott Base
Hillary and the commonwealth team Helped establish Scott Base in Antarctica. -
Returns to Himalayas
Returns to the Himalayas in search of the Yeti and sets up Himalayan Trust for charitable work in Nepal. The trust builds schools, hospitals and airfields. -
Wife died
In 1975 while on their way to join Hillary in a village, where he was helping to build a hospital, Louise and Belinda his daughter was killed in a plane crash. -
General election
Hillary took part in the 1975 election, as part of the "Citizens for Rowling" campaign. -
New Zealand High Commissioner
In 1985 Edmund Hillary was appointed New Zealand High Commissioner to India. -
Flight with Neil Armstrong
In 1985 he flew with Neil Armstrong in a small twin-engined ski plane over the Arctic Ocean and landed at the North Pole. -
Tenzing Norgay Death
Norgay died of a cerebral hemorrhage in Darjeeling, West Bengal, India, on 9 May 1986 at the age of 71. His remains were cremated in the Himalayan Mountaineering Institute, Darjeeling, his favourite hunt. -
Remarried
After his first wife died Edmund Hillary went on to marry June Mulgrew. -
Son climbed Everest
Hillary's only son peter climbed to the summit of mt Everest. -
$5 dollar note
Hillary appeared on the New Zealand $5 dollar note.The back of the note featured a scene of Campbell Island which is south of Stewart Island. There is also a penguin shown on the note it is the hoiho (yellow-eyed penguin), which is native to New Zealand. -
Became knight of the Garter
Edmund Hillary became Knight of the Order of the Garter (KG). -
Statue
A 7.5 ft bronze statue of Hillary was placed outside the Hermitage Hotel at the Mount Cook Village, in New Zealand, in 2003. -
Death
Hillary died at the age of 88 because of heart failure at the Auckland City Hospital at around 9 am in the morning. -
Funeral
His funeral was held after his body was cremated. The first part of this funeral was on January 21, when Hillary's casket was taken into Holy Trinity Cathedral to lie in state -
Thanksgiving service
A service of thanksgiving was held in his honour at St George's Chapel in Windsor Castle.
