Sir Edmund hillary

I am a famous explorer. I was the first ever to climb Mount Everest, the tallest mountain in the world.

I was born on the 20th of July 1919 in Auckland, New Zealand. I died (age 88) not long ago in 2008 Jan 11 in the Auckland city hospital. I had three children who are now grown up and their names are Peter Hillary, Sarah Hillary and Belinda Hillary.

I describe myself as a lonely child, short and always had my nose buried in books but by my late teens I grew and become the tallest in my class. Then during a school trip to Mt Ruapehu I discovered my love and talent for climbing.

I took on my first climb at the age of 20, I climbed Mt Ollivier. Then I started to set my   sights on the tallest mountain, Mt Everest. I decided to go for it. So I gathered up all the best climbers and got permission, then we started climbing. As the climb went on    higher and higher, days and months more climbers had to stop and drop out.  Sherpa Tenzing Norgay (my climbing partner) and me carried on and on, higher and higher. After the final push we made it too the top of the 8, 849 m Mt Everest at 11:30 am on May 29th 1953.

I am now on the five dollar note so that everyone will remember me.

My eldest son Peter hillary followed me in my footsteps and climbed Mt Everest twice himself. In amongst other adventures I joined with famous astronaut Neil Armstrong and together we journeyed to the North Pole and then climbed Mt Vinson, Antarctica's highest peak. Once in my eighties I no longer climbed as I was too old. I then raised money for charities and became a fundraiser.

I was a famous explorer. I was well known for my many mountains that I climbed. I was the most famous New Zealander of all time. A living legend.