Edward Whymper

Edward Whymper FRSE was an English mountaineer, explorer, illustrator, and author best known for the first ascent of the Matterhorn in 1865. Four members of his climbing party were killed during the descent. Whymper also made important first ascents on the Mont Blanc massif and in the Pennine Alps, Chimborazo in South America, and the Canadian Rockies. His exploration of Greenland contributed an important advance to Arctic exploration. Whymper wrote several books on mountaineering, including Scrambles Amongst the Alps.

27 April 1840

Born on the same birth day (27 April): Andrew Schlafly • Anouk Aimée • Chris Carpenter • Friedrich von Flotow • Jessie R. Fauset • Marc-Antoine Parseval • Michael Fish • Robert Dhéry • Sébastien Lareau • Thomas Lewis (Virginia politician)

Born in the same month (April 1840): Ghazaros Aghayan • Odilon Redon • Émile Zola