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Mountaineering legend Edmund Hillary dies at 88

Edmund Hillary, the modest New Zealand beekeeper who shot to global fame as the first person to climb Mount Everest, died yesterday at age 88.

A hero to millions for his derring-do, dry wit and dedication to others -- he spent much of his life working to help the people of Nepal -- Hillary had a heart attack after a spell of bad health, Auckland Hospital said.

The lanky, plain-speaking Kiwi made history on May 29, 1953, when he and Nepalese guide Sherpa Tenzing Norgay made it to the top of the world's tallest mountain, a feat that had defied mountaineers for decades.

On the way back down, Hillary lifted his mask and uttered what would become one of the most famous phrases in the annals of climbing: "Well, we knocked the bastard off."

Tributes quickly poured in for the legendary adventurer and philanthropist, who also led the first expedition to reach the South Pole by vehicle just four years after conquering Everest.

"Sir Ed described himself as an average New Zealander with modest abilities. In reality, he was a colossus," New Zealand Prime Minister Helen Clark said.

"He was an heroic figure who not only `knocked off' Everest but lived a life of determination, humility and generosity," Clark said.

She called him a "quintessential Kiwi" and "the best-known New Zealander ever to have lived."

Hillary was always modest about his achievement, and it was many years before Tenzing revealed that Hillary had actually been first to reach the peak. They said at the time that they had reached the top together.
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