June 9 historic event
Photo finish.
Eighty-six years ago today (or was it yesterday?) George Leigh Mallory died on Mount Everest, his dream of being the first man to reach its summit unfulfilled (or was it?)
Although Mallory remains one of the most famous mountaineers in history, he did not come from an athletic family or adventurous background. His father was Reverend Herbert Leigh Mallory and his mother, Annie Mallory, was a housewife.
Mallory was bitten by the climbing bug when a teacher brought him and several schoolmates along on a mountain climbing trip.
Upon graduation, Mallory became a teacher and married Ruth Turner in 1914.
Mallory initially refused to join without Finch, but was persuaded to change his mind by the King and Prince of Wales.
George Mallory and his crew were within a couple of thousand feet of the summit by early June, 1924.
Edward Norton and T. Howard Somervell were allowed to be the first to attempt the summit. They got to within 880 feet of the summit before they had to turn back.
Team member Noel Odell was the last person to see Mallory and Irvine climbing towards the peak.
England mourned the loss of Mallory and Irvine.
Ruth Mallory never remarried.
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His rate of climb and his remaining bottled oxygen probably were insufficient to get him to the peak.
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