Edmund Hillary, the modest New Zealand beekeeper who shot to global fame as the first person to climb Mount Qomolangma, died on Friday at the age of 88.

A hero to millions for his feat*, wit and dedication* to others — he spent much of his life working to help the people of Nepal — Hillary had a heart attack after a spell* of bad health, Auckland Hospital said.

Hillary made history on May 29, 1953, when he and Nepalese guide Sherpa Tenzing Norgay made it to the top of the world’s tallest mountain, a feat that had defied* mountaineers for decades.

Tributes* quickly poured in for the legendary adventurer and philanthropist*, who also led the first expedition* to reach the South Pole by vehicle just four years after conquering Qomolangma.

“Sir Ed described himself as an average New Zealander with modest abilities. In reality, he was a colossus*,” Prime Minister Helen Clark said.

She called him “the best-known New Zealander ever to have lived.”

(SD-Agencies)

Location: Southern Asia, between China and India

Area: 140,800 sq km

Land boundaries: 2,926 km

Border countries: China, 1,236 km; India, 1,690 km

Climate: varies from cool summers and severe winters in the north to subtropical summers and mild winters in the south

Natural resources: quartz, timber, small deposits of lignite, copper, cobalt, iron ore

Natural hazards: severe thunderstorms, landslides, drought, and summer monsoons