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Jim Whittaker, the first American to reach the summit of Mount Everest, died Tuesday, April 7, at his home in Port Townsend, Wash. He was 97.
His death closes a chapter in American mountaineering. From the summit of Everest to the halls of Congress to the helm of REI, Whittaker helped build the outdoor industry and advocated to protect the public lands that defined it.
The Day Jim Whittaker Made American History
Whittaker summited Everest in 1963 alongside Nawang Gombu, a decade after Sir Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay became the first people to reach the top.
The achievement made him an instant celebrity, landing him on magazine covers and generating demand for public appearances. It also helped spark American interest in mountaineering and the growth of the outdoor industry in the U.S.
English (US) ·