UNITED NATIONS, Jan 11 (KUNA) — 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, who was the first person to stand atop Mount Everest, died in Auckland, New Zealand yesterday. He was 88.
“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.
It added that Ban joins Sir Edmund’s family, the people of New Zealand, and his followers and friends around the world in giving thanks for his life.
Sir Edmund, along with Tenzing Norgay, his Sherpa guide, was the first to conquer the world’s highest mountain in 1953