50 Fun Facts About Tenzing Norgay

With whom did Tenzing Norgay make the first confirmed ascent of Everest?

They reached the summit at 11:30 a.m. as part of the 1953 British expedition.

On what date did Tenzing and Hillary reach the summit?

Tenzing later chose to celebrate his birthday on that date, since he never knew the real one.

What was Tenzing Norgay's name at birth?

The head lama of Rongbuk Monastery advised the change; the new name means 'wealthy-fortunate-follower-of-religion'.

Which US weekly named Tenzing one of the 100 most influential people of the 20th century?

Hillary made the same list.

Under which Tibetan calendar sign was Tenzing born, pointing to 1914?

He judged from the weather and crops that it was late May.

To which two places did the teenage Tenzing run away from home?

The second was the base for most eastern Himalayan expeditions, and he eventually became an Indian citizen.

What was Tenzing the eleventh of?

Several of his siblings died young; his father was a Tibetan yak herder.

Which monastery was Tenzing once sent to in order to become a monk?

He decided the life was not for him and left.

Which British climber chose the 20-year-old Tenzing for the 1935 Everest reconnaissance?

Two other candidates failed their medicals and Tenzing's smile caught Shipton's eye.

Which award did the Himalayan Club give Tenzing in 1938 for high-altitude work?

It followed his third Everest expedition as a porter.

How did Tenzing cross India by train without a ticket during Partition in 1947?

He had been batman to a Major Chapman in Chitral and kept one of his uniforms.

With which Canadian-born climber did Tenzing sneak into Tibet for a 1947 Everest attempt?

A storm at 22,000 feet ended it and all three men turned back safely.

Which nation's 1952 expeditions first seriously attempted Everest from the Nepalese side?

Tenzing was treated as a full member for the first time, 'the greatest honour that had ever been paid me'.

With which Swiss climber did Tenzing set an altitude record of about 8,595 m in May 1952?

The two became lasting friends; Lambert climbed despite losing his toes to frostbite.

How many times had Tenzing been to Everest before the 1953 expedition?

Expedition leader John Hunt had been three times.

What incident led Hillary to choose Tenzing as his partner for the summit?

He secured the rope with his ice axe before Hillary hit the bottom.

How many porters did John Hunt's 1953 expedition employ?

The party of over 400 also had 20 Sherpa guides and 10,000 pounds of baggage.

Which pair turned back 300 feet below the summit on 26 May 1953 when an oxygen set failed?

They had reached the South Summit; Hunt then sent Tenzing and Hillary.

What problem delayed the summit pair on the morning of 29 May?

Hillary spent two hours thawing them before they set off with 30-pound packs.

What was the 40-foot rock face on the final ridge later named?

Hillary wedged up a crack between rock and ice, and Tenzing followed.

About how long did the pair spend on the summit?

They took extra photos looking down the mountain to prove they had made it.

Why is there no summit photograph of Hillary?

Tenzing's autobiography says he offered but Hillary shook his head.

What did Tenzing leave on the summit as an offering?

Hillary left a cross given to him by John Hunt.

Who was the first person the pair met on their descent, bringing hot soup?

Hillary greeted him with 'Well, George, we knocked the bastard off.'

What coded phrase did Times reporter Jan Morris use to signal that the summit was reached?

'Advanced base abandoned' meant Hillary and 'awaiting improvement' meant Tenzing.

On the morning of which event did news of the ascent reach the British public?

It was perhaps the last major news story delivered to the world by runner.

Which honour did Tenzing receive from the Queen while Hillary and Hunt were knighted?

He was not a British subject and so not eligible for a knighthood; some claim Nehru also objected.

Which Indian prime minister was rumoured to have vetoed a knighthood for Tenzing?

His grandson Tashi later said he deserved more than 'a bloody medal'.

In which year did Tenzing's autobiography finally reveal that Hillary stepped up first?

It was ghost-written, since Tenzing could speak several languages but not read or write.

Which American writer ghost-wrote Tenzing's autobiography?

The book, titled Man of Everest, was also published as The Tiger of the Snows.

How far apart were Tenzing and Hillary roped on the final stretch, by Tenzing's account?

Most of the 30-foot rope was held in loops in his hand; 'I was not thinking of first and second'.

What post did Tenzing take when the Himalayan Mountaineering Institute opened in 1954?

Nehru drove the institute's creation after the 1953 triumph.

Which kingdom admitted its first American tourist party, guided by Tenzing, in 1975?

The trek began in Paro and visited the Tiger's Nest monastery.

What Soviet title did Tenzing become the first foreigner to receive, in 1963?

India had given him its third-highest civilian award in 1959.

Which Indian civilian honour did Tenzing receive in 1959?

It is the country's third-highest civilian award.

On which dwarf planet is the highest mountain range named Tenzing Montes?

Seen by New Horizons in July 2015, its peaks reach 6.2 km; the neighbouring range is Hillary Montes.

Which airport, gateway to Everest treks, was renamed for Tenzing and Hillary in 2008?

A History Channel programme rated it the world's most dangerous airport.

Which son of Tenzing summited Everest in 1996 with the IMAX expedition?

He wrote Touching My Father's Soul and now runs Tenzing Norgay Adventures.

With whom did Tenzing's son climb Everest in 2003 for the 50th anniversary?

The sons of the two first summiteers marked their fathers' feat together.

How many times was Tenzing married?

Sherpa custom allowed him to marry Dakku while his second wife was still alive.

In which Indian hill town did Tenzing die in May 1986?

He was cremated at the Himalayan Mountaineering Institute, his favourite haunt.

In 2003 India renamed its highest adventure sports honour after Tenzing; what did the year mark?

The award recognises achievement in adventure activities on land, sea and air.

What do Tibetans and Sherpas call Everest, a name meaning 'Holy Mother'?

Tenzing, like most Sherpas, was Buddhist.

The 1953 expedition set up its penultimate camp at what height on the South Col?

Tenzing and Hillary later pitched a final tent at 27,900 feet.

What was Tenzing's role on the 1947 Swiss expedition that reached the summit of Kedarnath?

It was his first time as sirdar, after helping rescue the injured Wangdi Norbu.

On whose advice was the young Namgyal Wangdi renamed Tenzing Norgay?

Ngawang Tenzin Norbu founded the monastery on Everest's northern approaches; Tenzing himself was a Buddhist like most Sherpas.

What was the occupation of Tenzing's father, Ghang La Mingma?

Both his parents were Tibetan; Tenzing went to Nepal as a child to work for a Sherpa family in Khumbu.

Why was Tenzing's autobiography ghost-written rather than written by him?

The book, Man of Everest, was published in 1955 and settled the question of who stepped onto the summit first.

Which two of Tenzing's nephews took part in the 1953 Everest expedition?

Tenzing's grandson Tashi Tenzing and his son Jamling also went on to climb Everest.

Of what did Tenzing Norgay die in 1986, aged 71?

His remains were cremated at the Himalayan Mountaineering Institute in Darjeeling, his favourite haunt.