Tenzing Norgay, also known as Sherpa Tenzing, was a Nepalese-Indian mountaineer who, along with Edmund Hillary, was the first to reach the summit of Mount Everest in 1953. Time recognized Norgay as one of the 100 most influential people of the 20th century.
 |
|
|---|---|
| Born | May 1913, Nepal/Tibet |
| Died | May 9, 1986 |
| Also Known As | Sherpa Tenzing |
| Known For | Being one-half of the first team to scale Mount Everest |
| Awards and Honors | British Empire Medal |
| Spouses | Dawa Phuti, Ang Lahmu, Dakku |
Early Life
Tenzing, a Sherpa mountaineer, was born in Nepal in the late 19th century (May 1914). His early life was marked by conflicting accounts, with some claiming he was born in Tibet and others claiming he was born in Nepal. Tenzing’s father, Ghang La Mingma, was a Tibetan yak herder, and his mother, Dokmo Kinzom, was a Tibetan monk. Tenzing was the 11th of 13 children, many of whom died young.
Tenzing’s early life was marked by a series of events, including his ascent of Mount Everest in 1953. He was initially called “Namgyal Wangdi” but changed his name to “Tenzing Norgay” after his mother’s advice. His father was a Tibetan yak herder, and his mother was a Tibetan monk. Tenzing was the 11th of 13 children, many of whom died young.
Tenzing’s early life was marked by a series of escapes, including two trips to Kathmandu and Darjeeling, India. He eventually acquired Indian citizenship and was sent to Tengboche Monastery, but he left at the age of 19 to settle in the Sherpa community in the Too Song Busti district of Darjeeling. His life and achievements have been a subject of debate among mountaineers and historians.
Mountaineering
At 20, Norgay joined the 1935 British Mount Everest reconnaissance expedition when Eric Shipton was assembling the team. He was pushed forward by his friend Ang Tharkay, a Sherpa sirdar who had been on the 1933 British Mount Everest expedition. Norgay participated as a high-altitude porter in three official British attempts to climb Everest from the northern Tibetan side in the 1930s.
He worked with John Morris on the 1936 expedition and participated in other climbs in the Indian subcontinent. Norgay lived in the princely state of Chitral as a batman to a Major Chapman. He returned to Darjeeling with his two daughters during the Indian partition of 1947 and managed to cross India by train without a ticket or challenge.
In 1947, Norgay participated in an unsuccessful summit attempt of Everest, where Canadian-born mountaineer Earl Denman, Ange Dawa Sherpa, and Norgay entered Tibet illegally. Denman admitted defeat, and all three returned safely. In 1947, Norgay became a sirdar of a Swiss expedition for the first time after helping to rescue Sirdar Wangdi Norbu.
Personal life and death
Norgay was a Sherpa mountaineer who was married three times. His first wife, Dawa Phuti, died young in 1944, leaving behind a son, Nima Dorje, and two daughters. His second wife, Ang Lahmu, was an adoptive mother to their daughters from his earlier marriage. His third wife, Dakku, was married while his second wife was alive, and they had three sons and one daughter, Deki, who married American lawyer Clark Trainor.
Norgay’s nephews, Nawang Gombu and Topgay, participated in the 1953 Everest expedition. His grandsons, Tashi Tenzing and Clark Trainor, were also active in the mountaineering world. Norgay died of a cerebral hemorrhage in Darjeeling, India, on 9 May 1986 at the age of 71. His widow, Dakku, died in 1992.
Honours
- In 1938, Norgay was awarded the Tiger Medal by the Himalayan Club for high-altitude work during his third Everest expedition.
- Queen Elizabeth II recognized his achievements in 1953, and in 2013, he was knighted by his grandson, Tashi Tenzing.
- In 1953, King Tribhuvan of Nepal presented him with the Order of the Star of Nepal, 1st Class.
- In 1959, the Indian Government awarded him the Padma Bhushan, the third-highest civilian award in India.
- TThe Indian Mountaineering Foundation presented him with its gold medal.
- In 1963, Norgay was awarded the honorary title of “Merited Master of Sport of the USSR” by the Soviet Union.
- In 2013, the Nepalese government proposed naming a 7,916-meter mountain in Nepal Tenzing Peak in his honor.
- In 2015, the highest-known mountain range on Pluto was named Tenzing Montes.
Awards
- In 2003, the Indian government renamed the Tenzing Norgay National Adventure Award in honor of Norgay’s summit of Everest.
