Edmund Hillary's insistance on sharing the full glory and credit of summiting Everest with Tenzing Norgay has always been one of the best gauges of his character. The western media would have gladly awarded him all the glory and shoved Tenzing off to the side as a footnote.

Hillary did everything he could to share the spotlight equally with his climbing partner. For decades he insisted that they held hands and summited simultaneously. you gotta love him for that.