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Student Article

Tenzing Norgay: The Sherpa Mountaineer Who First Conquered Everest

Originally Published in  HistoryExtra

Tenzing Norgay, once a mountain porter from Nepal, helped make history in 1953 when he and Edmund Hillary became the first to reach the summit of Mount Everest.

The article "Tenzing Norgay: The Sherpa Mountaineer Who First Conquered Everest" from BBC's HistoryExtra tells the inspiring story of how a humble yak herder’s son from Nepal became one of the first men to conquer Mount Everest. It follows his early life, climbing career, legendary expedition with Edmund Hillary, and the recognition — and lack of it — that followed.
Student Article Info

BBC's HistoryExtra is devoted to both British and world history and aimed at readers of all levels of knowledge and interest. Learn more about subscriptions here.

Grades:
6-89-12
Subject:
Social Studies
Topic:
History
Keywords
Mount EverestTenzing NorgayEdmund HillarySherpaHimalayan climbing1953 expeditionBritish mountaineers
Photo of Tenzing Norgay's statue
© Getty

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Note: The BBC Learning Hub Editorial Team made use of AI tools to create multiple versions of this article, each tailored to different student reading levels. Every version undergoes a thorough review by our BBC Learning editors to ensure accuracy, quality, and appropriateness.

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Level 2 Reading Passage
Grades: 6-8Lexile Level: 800–1000L
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Level 3 Reading Passage
Grades: 9-12Lexile Level: 1000–1200L
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