Jim Whittaker, the first American to reach the summit of Mount Everest, has died aged 97, according to his family.
He climbed to the highest point on earth on 1 May 1963 and remained among the most highly regarded mountaineers for decades, returning to Everest with his family when he was 83 years old.
Whittaker - the first full-time employee and former president of outdoor company Recreational Equipment Inc (REI) - died on Tuesday at his home in Port Townsend, Washington, surrounded by family and loved ones, his son Leif confirmed to the BBC.
An American folk hero, Whittaker lived a life "devoted to adventure, stewardship, service, and family", his family said in an obituary.
Whittaker died at home, in a bed "with a sweeping view of the region he loved: the Olympic Mountains, Port Townsend Bay, and the Strait of Juan de Fuca," Leif Whittaker, the youngest of his five sons, said in the Cascadia Daily News obituary.
