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Edmund Hillary biography flashcards covering Mount Everest, exploration, and New Zealand for Grade 6.
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Edmund Hillary Biography Flashcards

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This 12-card flashcard set presents the life and achievements of Sir Edmund Hillary, the pioneering mountain climber and explorer, for sixth graders. Cards cover his childhood in New Zealand, his education, his famous Mount Everest expedition with Tenzing Norgay, his polar explorations, and his humanitarian work with the Sherpa people. Use it for reading comprehension, biography study, or social studies vocabulary review.

Subject:
English / Language Arts
Topic:
Reading
Grade Level:
6th Grade
Updated February 2025

Terms in This Set

  • He was a shy child and spent much of his childhood reading books and dreaming of adventure.
  • Sir Edmund Hillary (1919–2008) was a pioneering mountain climber and explorer during the 20th century.
  • While studying Mathematics and Science at the University of Auckland, he joined the tramping club. By the youthful age of twenty, he had already climbed his first major mountain – Mount Ollivier, in the alps of southern New Zealand.
  • He is renowned for being the first person to reach the summit of Mount Everest (the highest mountain peak in the world) with his Nepalese Sherpa guide, Tenzing Norgay. Hillary was also among the first explorers to use motor vehicles to reach the South Pole.
  • In 1951, Hillary was invited to join a British expedition that explored possible routes for climbing the peak of Mount Everest. In 1953, Edmund took part in a British-led attempt to reach the summit The two men spent around 15 minutes at the highest point on Earth before beginning their descent.
  • Hillary continued exploring later in life, joining expeditions to both the South and North Poles. He consequently received many accolades, including the Queen Elizabeth II Coronation Medal and the Order of New Zealand. In 1960, Edmund founded the Himalayan Trust, an organisation that helps build schools and hospitals in the most isolated parts of the region
  • He devoted much of his life to improving the facilities available to the Sherpa people. Edmund Hillary died of heart failure at the age of eighty-eight in his hometown of Auckland.
  • Hillary was born in Auckland, New Zealand, on 20 July 1919. His father, Percival, was a beekeeper, and his mother, Gertrude, was a teacher. He had an older sister, June, and a younger brother, Rex. Edmund spent his childhood on an eight-acre property in the small farming village of Tuakau
  • Edmund’s mother was determined that her son receive a good education. As a result, Hillary attended Auckland Grammar School for his secondary education. For many years, Edmund travelled more than 90 minutes in each direction, by bike and train, to reach his high school. He was an average student who finished school with reasonable results.
  • The commencement of World War II led to Hillary joining the Royal New Zealand Air Force. When the war was over, Edmund and his brother followed in the footsteps of their father to become beekeepers. Hillary continued to climb the highest peaks of his home country, but he also began to set his sights on far greater challenges – namely, the summit of Mount Everest in the Himalayas.
  • Hillary’s interest in mountain climbing was first sparked at the age of sixteen (in 1935) when he attended a school skiing trip to Mount Ruapehu. Edmund demonstrated great endurance during the trip, more so than his peers.
  • He is renowned for being the first person to reach the summit of Mount Everest (the highest mountain peak in the world) with his Nepalese Sherpa guide, Tenzing Norgay. Hillary was also among the first explorers to use motor vehicles to reach the South Pole.

How to Use This Flashcard Set

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