Sir Edmund Hillary, one of the first two men to reach the summit of Chomolungma (Mount Everest), has died. He was 88, and perhaps the most famous New Zealander, and apiarist, in the world. He will also be remembered for his character, mountaineering, philanthropic work for the Sherpa people of Nepal, exploration of the Himalaya and Antarctic, and conservation, and many other things.

For a lengthy obituary, see http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/world/AP-Obit-EdmundHillary.html?_r=1&adxnnl=1&oref=slogin&adxnnlx=1200007483-QJ5uwm9CWcnW534GzhEmIg

(Yes, I realize he wasn’t particularly a rock climber, but this part of the forum seems to get the most traffic, and I thought people would want to know.)