About George Mallory
George Herbert Leigh-Mallory (18 June 1886– 8 or 9 June 1924) was an English mountaineer who participated in the first three British Mount Everest expeditions from the early to mid-1920s. He and his climbing partner Andrew "Sandy" Irvine were last seen ascending near Everest's summit during the 1924 expedition, prompting speculation as to whether they reached it before they died. Born in Cheshire, England, Mallory became a student at Winchester College, where a teacher recruited him for an excursion in the Alps, and he developed a strong natural climbing ability. After graduating from Magdalene College, Cambridge, where he became friends with prominent intellectuals, he taught at Charterhouse School while honing his climbing skills in the Alps and the English Lake District. He pioneered new routes and became a respected figure in the British climbing community. His service in the First World War interrupted his climbing, but he returned with vigour after the war. Mallory's most notable contributions to mountaineering were his expeditions to Everest. Famously, when asked by a reporter why he wanted to climb Everest, Mallory purportedly replied, "Because it's there." In 1921, he participated in the first British Mount Everest reconnaissance expedition, which established the North Col-North Ridge as a viable route to the summit. In 1922, he took part in a second expedition to attempt the first ascent of Everest, in which his team achieved a world altitude record of 27,300 ft (8,321 m) using supplemental oxygen. They were awarded Olympic gold medals for alpinism. During the 1924 expedition, Mallory and Irvine disappeared on Everest's Northeast Ridge. They were last seen at 800 vertical feet (240 metres) from the summit. Mallory's body, along with personal effects, was found in 1999 by the Mallory and Irvine Research Expedition at 26,760 feet (8,160 metres), some 688 vertical metres below the summit. The discovery, however, provided no evidence that he had reached the summit. He and his climbing partner Andrew "Sandy" Irvine were reported to be last seen ascending near Everest's summit during the 1924 expedition, sparking debate as to whether they reached it before they died.
Biography source: Wikipedia. The profile adds birthday-specific historical context from the Celebs Birthday Today editorial database.