At the Top of the World
The Story of Tenzing Norgay
On May 29, 1953, Tenzing Norgay and teammate Edmund Hillary reached the summit of Mt. Everest. Tenzing received instant acclaim for his unprecedented achievement. He quickly became a global ambassador for the Sherpa people.
Here are a few facts to know about Tenzing Norgay:
Born: 1914. This is an approximation based on the Tibetan lunar calendar. At the time of Tenzing's birth, the Sherpas did not keep written birth records.
Birthplace: Tsa-chu, Nepal.
Raised in: Thami, Nepal (a village near the border of Tibet, and close to Mt. Everest).
Family: One of 13 children.
Languages: Spoke seven languages, but never learned how to write.
Work: 1933 moved to Darjeeling, India, to work as a trekking porter.
War Years: Indian army ski instructor.
Everest Trips:
1935 — First expedition, accompanying Eric Shipton.
1953 — Reaches the top of Mount Everest at age 39, together with
Edmund Hillary.
After Everest: Opened mountaineering school in Darjeeling, India, to train other locals as mountaineering guides.
Died: May 9, 1986.
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| Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay |
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Glossary:
Chomolungma: is the name which Sherpas give to Mount Everest
lama: is a name for a holy man or monk
Miyosanglangma: is a goddess who the lamas believe lives on Chomolungma
monastery: is a building where monks or lamas live
Sherpas: is a group of people who live in a country called Nepal. Many Sherpas live near Mount Everest.
Get to know more:
Click on the following link to read more about Tenzing Norgay:
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/everest/history/norgay.html
Check out this video:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/player/nol/newsid_6730000/newsid_6731700/6731793.stm?bw=nb&mp=wm&news=1&bbcws=1
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