Jim Whittaker
James Whittaker | |
|---|---|
 Whittaker speaking at the Computer History Museum in 2005 | |
| Born | James Warren Whittaker February 10, 1929 Seattle, Washington, U.S. |
| Died | April 7, 2026 (aged 97) |
| Education | Seattle University West Seattle High School |
| Occupation | Mountaineer |
| Relatives | Lou Whittaker (twin brother) |
James Warren "Jim" Whittaker (February 10, 1929 – April 7, 2026) was an American mountaineer, autobiographer and mountain guide.[1][2]
On May 1, 1963 he became the first American to reach the summit of Mount Everest as a member of the American Mount Everest Expedition led by Norman Dyhrenfurth. They ran out of oxygen but managed to reach the summit. Once there, Whittaker planted a U.S. flag at the top.[3]
Whittaker died on April 7, 2026 in Port Townsend, Washington at the age of 97.[4]
References
- ↑ "EverestHistory.com: Jim Whittaker". Archived from the original on 2019-05-13. Retrieved 2019-03-05.
- ↑ "Brothers synonymous with mountain climbing in Northwest". Reading Eagle. (Pennsylvania). Associated Press. March 13, 1983. p. 43.
- ↑ Shnayerson, Michael (May 2003). "Jim Whittaker, Back on Earth". National Geographic Adventure Magazine. Retrieved 2007-05-07.
- ↑ Almond, Elliott (April 8, 2026). "Famed mountaineer Jim Whittaker, first American atop Mount Everest, dies at 97". Cascadia Daily News. Retrieved April 8, 2026.