At 11:30 A.M. on May 29, 1953 the tallest spot on Earth was conquered by a New Zealander and his Tibetan guide. Mount Everest had been the goal of mountain climbers for many years. The Tibetans called it Chomo-Lungma (“Mother Goddess of the Land”). The rest of the world called it Mount Everest in honor of Sir George Everest, a 19th Century British surveyor of South Asia. The first attempt was in 1921. George Mallory, when asked why he attempted to climb the mountain, famously said “Because it’s there.” Mallory disappeared in 1924 on the mountain. (His well-preserved body was found in 1999 with evidence of numerous broken bones from a fall.) In 1952, a Swiss expedition had come close, so this motivated Great Britain to launch its ninth expedition. It was led by Colonel John Hunt and included some of the best climbers in the world. These included Edmund Hillary. Hillary, a beekeeper in his off time, was the first person to reach both the North and South Poles. The expedition consisted of 362 porters, 20 guides and the climbers. Hillary was paired with a Sherpa guide named Tenzing Norgay. Using insulated clothing, portable radios, and oxygen, they reached the summit. They stayed for fifteen minutes. Hillary took a picture of Norgay, but no picture was taken of him. He left a cross and Norgay left some chocolates as an offering. When they returned to the base camp, Hillary proclaimed: “We knocked the bastard off.”
https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/hillary-and-tenzing-reach-everest-summit
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edmund_Hillary
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