Sir Edmund Hillary, the New Zealand beekeeper-turned-mountaineer who with his Sherpa guide in 1953 became the first known men to conquer Mount Everest, the world's tallest peak, died early today at Auckland City Hospital.

He was 88. No cause of death was reported.

Hillary's 29,035-foot climb up the Himalayan mountain was done amid subzero temperatures, unpredictable winds and daunting crevasses, and with a grade of equipment now considered primitive. The ascent ended a decades-long quest undertaken by countless to test human endurance.

On May 29, 1953, the successful ascent and return by Hillary and Tenzing Norgay in a team led by British army Col. John Hunt made them instant international celebrities.

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Report by: Adam Bernstein