Tenzing Norgay (1914-1986), a Sherpa guide from Nepal, became one of the first two people to reach the top of Mount Everest and return. On May 29, 1953, Tenzing and Sir Edmund Hillary of New Zealand reached the summit, which at the time was believed to be 29,002 feet (8,840 meters) above sea level. Their expedition had spent more than two months moving supplies and equipment up the mountain. The men spent 15 minutes at the summit. Tenzing had tried six times previously to reach the top of Everest. See Mount Everest .
Tenzing was born in May 1914 in Thamey, a village in the Solo Khumbu, a district inhabited by Sherpa people in Nepal near the base of Mount Everest. The Sherpas had migrated to Tibet from Mongolia many years previously and then left Tibet to settle in the Solo Khumbu district. The Sherpas were known for their skill in mountain climbing. After his ascent with Hillary, Tenzing became internationally famous and a hero to the Sherpa and Nepalese people. He devoted the rest of his life to improving the way of life of the Sherpas. He died on May 9, 1986.
