Edmund Hillary

The world loses the man who, along with Sherpa Tenzing Norgay, stepped onto the highest point on Earth for the first time.

The BBC said:

Tributes have been paid to Sir Edmund Hillary, who made the first ascent of the world's highest peak, Mount Everest, after he died aged 88.
New Zealand PM Helen Clark said a state funeral would be held for Sir Edmund, while Queen Elizabeth II said she was "very saddened" by his death. Nepali Sherpas lit butter lamps and offered special Buddhist prayers in monasteries for his reincarnation. Sir Edmund died of a heart attack at Auckland Hospital. The first living New Zealander to appear on a banknote, his health had reportedly been failing since April, when he suffered a fall during a visit to Nepal. Announcing Sir Edmund's death in Auckland, New Zealand's prime minister described him as a "colossus".

As time goes by and the great explorers and adventurers of the past century pass on, there will be a great void to fill. Will the mountaineers and polar travellers of the coming decades take on their challenges with the same dignity and courage? The social and physical climate in which they work will differ greatly from the early twentieth century - how will this affect their approach and will the age-old 'spirit of adventure' still thrive in years to come?