New Zealand's Edmund Hillary, who became the first to conquer Mount Qomolangma to win renown as one of the 20th century's greatest adventurers, passed away on Jan. 11, 2008. He was 88.

Photo: Edmund Hillary(R) and Tenzing Norgay.

Hillary took the first step onto the top of the world's highest peak along with Nepal's Tenzing Norgay Sherpa in 1953. After the climb, he told his companions: "We knocked the bastard off."

After Qomolangma, Hillary led a number of expeditions to the South Pole and the Himalayas, and devoted his time to helping Nepal's Sherpa people who live in the shadow of Qomolangma.

His Himalaya Trust raised about 250,000 U.S. dollars a year and he personally helped build schools, hospitals, bridges, pipelines and even an airfield.