Junko Tabei: First Woman to Summit Mount Everest (May 16, 1975)

Junko Tabei: First Woman to Summit Mount Everest (May 16, 1975)

Junko Tabei (1939–2016), a Japanese mountaineer, made history as the first woman to reach the summit of Mount Everest on May 16, 1975. She was part of the Japanese Women's Everest Expedition, a 15-member all-female team. Tabei overcame an avalanche that buried her camp weeks earlier to achieve the summit via the South Col route. She later became the first woman to complete the Seven Summits (highest peak on each continent). Her legacy inspires women in mountaineering worldwide.