INTERNATIONAL MOUNT EVEREST DAY 2022: Mount Everest is the world’s highest peak. The top of this massive mountain is at 8,849 meters (more than 29,000 feet). Many mountaineers have tried to climb Everest so far, but most expeditions have failed. The extreme weather, scarce oxygen and the unavailability of extra supplies make it an extremely difficult and dangerous journey to reach the top of the mountain.
However, of the few climbers to reach the summit, the first to do so were Sir Edmund Hillary from New Zealand and Tenzing Norgay from Nepal.
May 29, 1953 was the day Tenzing and Edmund achieved what had hitherto been considered nearly impossible. It was a funny coincidence that the duo’s historic feat was put on Tenzing’s birthday. Tenzing was born on May 29, 1914.
He was 31 years old when he touched the Mount Everest peak. As they climbed Everest in May 1953, the world did not learn of what they had achieved until Queen Elizabeth II crowned the two men three days later, on June 2.
In honor of Tenzing Norgay, Nepal has declared May 29 International Everest Day. The day was first observed in 2008, the year Edmund Hillary died. It is celebrated every year mainly to promote mountain tourism. Ministers, climbers, tourism entrepreneurs, government officials and many prominent figures participate in the commemorative events held in Nepal on this day.
While Tenzing and Edmund were the first to climb Everest, it wasn’t anyone’s first attempt to do so. According to Britannica, George Mallory and Guy Bullock had planned and conducted a Mount Everest expedition in 1921, but were unable to reach the summit.
In 1922, Brigadier General CG Bruce and the group tried to do it, but even they failed to make it to the top. In 1924, Brigadier General Bruce and Mallory tried to do it together and recorded the highest-ever climb of 8,565 meters or 28 thousand feet until 1953 when Tenzing and Edmund reached the top of the mountain.
After that, several attempts were made between 1924 and 1953, but they failed for various reasons, such as the deaths of the travelers, shortage of supplies, and more.
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