Sir Edmund Hillary, the first person to climb Mount Everest, died of a heart attack at the age of 88 in New Zealand. Hillary, who climbed Mount Everest in 1953, was perhaps the world’s most famous adventurer over the last century.

Born in New Zealand, Hillary was a beekeeper before he famously climbed Mount Everest. After he climbed Mount Everest, he was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II four days later.

Mount Everest is famous for being the highest mountain on the planet. Located on the border of Nepal and Tibet, Mount Everest reaches over 29,000 feet above sea level. Mount Everest was first noted as the world’s tallest mountain in 1852 by Radhanath Sikdar, a mathematician from India.

When Hillary climbed Everest for the first time on May 29, 1953, he did so with the help of a Sherpa named Tenzing Norgay. Norgay, who was from Nepal, was a lifelong friend of Hillary’s until his death in 1986.

After reaching the top of Mount Everest, Hillary never forgot the people of Nepal. He worked to raise money for the people in the country, raising millions of dollars in his lifetime.

Hillary’s funeral will be held in his hometown of Auckland, New Zealand.