Tenzing Norgay (born May 15, 1914?, Khumbu region, Nepal?—died May 9, 1986,Darjeeling [now Darjiling],West Bengal, India) was a Nepali-Indian Sherpamountaineer who in 1953 became, withEdmund Hillary ofNew Zealand, the first person to set foot on the summit of MountEverest, the world’s highest peak (approximately 29,035 feet [8,850 meters];seeResearcher’s Note: Height ofMount Everest).

There is uncertainty about Namgyal Wangdi’s early life. He claimed to have been born in the Khumbu region ofNepal (near Everest), an area that is home to theSherpas. Some sources, however, state that his birthplace was Tshechu, Tibet (nowTibet Autonomous Region, China). It is known that his parents wereTibetan. Namgyal Wangdi likely grew up in the Khumbu village of Thame, and at some point he took the name Tenzing Norgay. He worked for several years for anaffluent family in Khumjung, and, as a teen, he ran away from difficult conditions and settled in Darjeeling (now Darjiling), West Bengal,India. At age 19 he was chosen as a porter for his first expedition; in 1935 he accompanied Eric Shipton’s reconnaissance expedition of Everest. In the next few years Tenzing took part in more Everest expeditions than any other climber.

AfterWorld War II Tenzing became asirdar, or organizer of porters, and in this capacity accompanied a number of expeditions. In 1952 the Swiss made two attempts on the southern route up Everest, on both of which Tenzing was sirdar. He went as sirdar of the British Everestexpedition of 1953 and formed the second summit pair with Hillary. From a tent at 27,900 feet (8,500 meters) on the Southeast Ridge, they reached the summit at 11:30am on May 29. He spent 15 minutes there “taking photographs and eating mint cake,” and, as a devout Buddhist, he left an offering of food.

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After his feat he was regarded as a legendary hero by many Nepalese and Indians. His many honours included Britain’s George Medal and the Star of Nepal (Nepal Tara).Man of Everest (1955; also published asTiger of the Snows), written in collaboration with James Ramsey Ullman, is an autobiography.After Everest (1978), as told to Malcolm Barnes, tells of his travels after the Everestascent and his directorship of the Field Training Himalayan Mountaineering Institute in Darjeeling, which the Indian government established in 1954.Tenzing: Hero of Everest (2003), a biography of Tenzing Norgay by mountaineer and journalist Ed Douglas, is a sensitive appreciation of his life, achievements, and disappointments.