First Successful Ascent of Mount Everest: 1953

On May 29, 1953, at 11:30 a.m. local time, New Zealander Sir Edmund Hillary and Nepali Tenzing Norgay became the first humans to stand on the summit of Mount Everest (8,848.86 m / 29,031.7 ft). They were part of the British expedition led by Colonel John Hunt. The pair climbed the South Col route (Southeast Ridge) from the Nepalese side, using supplemental oxygen. Their achievement, announced on the eve of Queen Elizabeth II's coronation, electrified the world. Since then, thousands have summited, but 1953 remains the historic breakthrough. The mountain's Nepali name is Sagarmatha; Tibetan, Chomolungma.