Hillary and Norgay Conquer Everest: First Summit Reached
Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay reached the summit of Mount Everest at 11:30 AM on May 29, 1953, becoming the first humans to stand at 29,032 feet. They spent approximately 15 minutes on top. Hillary took photographs, including the famous image of Norgay holding flags, but Norgay did not know how to operate the camera, so no photograph of Hillary at the summit exists. The pair left a small cross and some sweets as offerings. News of the ascent reached London on June 2, the morning of Elizabeth II's coronation, and was celebrated as a coronation gift. Hillary and Norgay always refused to say who stepped on the summit first. Hillary was knighted; Norgay, as a Nepali citizen, received the George Medal. Everest has since been summited over 11,000 times by more than 6,000 individuals.
May 29, 1953
73 years ago
Key Figures & Places
What Else Happened on May 29
Emperor Julian's legions defeated the Sassanid army beneath the walls of Ctesiphon, the Persian capital, but found the city's massive fortifications impregnable…
Almoravid forces under Tamim ibn Yusuf annihilated a Castilian army at Ucles, killing Prince Sancho, the only legitimate heir of King Alfonso VI. The defeat sha…
Imperial forces under Christian of Buch and Rainald of Dassel destroyed a Roman army supporting Pope Alexander III at Monte Porzio, killing thousands of Romans …
The Lombard League infantry crushed Emperor Frederick I’s cavalry at the Battle of Legnano, ending his campaign to exert direct imperial control over Northern I…
The Mongols spent seventeen days inside Kaifeng's walls, which tells you everything about the looting. Jin officials had already fled south three months earlier…
The French crown passed to Philip VI through his father, not his own achievements—he was nephew to three childless kings. And that inheritance opened a can of w…
Talk to History
Have a conversation with historical figures who witnessed this era. Ask questions, explore perspectives, and bring history to life.