New Zealand mountaineer. In 1953, with Nepalese Sherpa mountaineer Tenzing Norgay (19141986), he reached the summit of Mount Everest, becoming the first to climb the world's highest peak. As a member of the Commonwealth Transantarctic Expedition 195758, he was the first person since R F Scott to reach the South Pole overland, on 3 January 1958. He was knighted in 1953.
Orange represents courage and sacrifice. White represents truth, purity, and peace. Green represents faith, fertility, and chivalry. The emblem is the Ashoka Chakra (‘Wheel of the Law’). Effective date: 22 July 1947.