At 11:30 a.m. on May 29, 1953, Edmund Hillary of New Zealand
and Tenzing Norgay, a Sherpa of Nepal, become the first
known explorers to reach the summit of Mount Everest,
which at 29,035 feet above sea level is the highest point
on earth.
The two, part of a British expedition, made their final assault on
the summit after spending a fitful night at 27,900 feet.
News of their achievement broke around the world on June 2, the
day of Queen Elizabeth II’s coronation, and Britons hailed it as a
good omen for their country’s future.
Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay in 1953.
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