Fast forward to 1841, when the mountain once known unceremoniously at Peak XV was named Mount Everest for the Surveyor General of India, Sir George Everest. It should also be noted that the Tibetan name is Chomolungma (“Goddess Mother of The Earth”). And in the early 1960s, the Nepalese government named the mountain Sagarmatha (“Head of The Sky”).

Mallory and Irvine
In June of 1924, two members of a British expedition, George Mallory and Andrew Irvine, attempted to summit Everest. Mallory, who had already tried twice and failed, was known for his response – “Because it’s there” – when asked why he wanted to climb Everest. The two were last seen going for the top when they were engulfed by swirling clouds. They then vanished. Mallory’s body was found 75 years later, in 1999. Irvine’s body was likely found in 1960 by a Chinese climber, but has not been rediscovered since, despite several searches. No physical evidence was found to clear up the mystery of whether either of them actually summited.

Hillary and Tenzing
Over the next 30 years, ten more expeditions failed to summit the mountain, with 13 people losing their lives along the way. Then, on May 29, 1953, New Zealander Edmund Hillary and an acclaimed Sherpa named Tenzing Norgay, taking the South Col route, made history by becoming the first to conquer the mountain and reach the roof of the world. Hillary became world famous overnight, and was knighted by the Queen of England. Tenzing became a symbol of national pride for three separate nations – Nepal, Tibet and India. Everest had finally, and officially, been conquered.

Messner and Habeler
On May 8, 1978, Reinhold Messner and Peter Habeler performed a monumental feat, as they became the first on record to summit Everest without the use of supplemental oxygen. Messner repeated the feat two years later, this time solo, which was another Everest first.

The Deadly 1996 Season
Climbing without use of bottled oxygen became an issue during the 1996 climbing season, the deadliest single year in Everest history as fifteen people died trying to reach the summit. On May 10th, a storm stranded several climbers, with three dying on the north side and five dying on the south side. Among them were Rob Hall and Scott Fischer, both highly experienced climbers who were leading paid expeditions. The tragedy was recounted in the bestselling book, “Into Thin Air” by journalist Jon Krakauer, who was in Hall’s party. The book, and a subsequent book by guide Anatoli Bourkeev, who was part of the expedition, sparked controversy in the climbing community. The 1996 disaster triggered many ongoing debates in the climbing community about the over-commercialization of Everest, and the use of supplemental oxygen in general – by marginally qualified climbers, and by guides who have a specific responsibility to always be in a position to think clearly in order to help direct their clients.

Everest Facts
Elevation: 29,035 feet, highest mountain on Earth
Location: Nepal and Tibet
Range: Khumbu Himal
Coordinates: Latitude 27° 59' N, Longitude 86° 56' E
Easiest route: South Col (Nepal)

Everest Milestones
First ascent: May 29, 1953 – Edmund Hillary (New Zealand) and Tenzing Norgay (Nepal) via the South Col route
First ascent without oxygen: May 8, 1978 – Reinhold Messner (Italy) and Peter Habeler (Austria) via the South-East Ridge
First solo ascent: August 20, 1980 – Reinhold Messner via the North-East Ridge to the North Face
First ascent by an American: May 1, 1963 – James Whitaker via the South Col
First ascent by a woman: May 16, 1975 – Junko Tabei (Japan) via the South Col
First ascent by an American woman: September 29, 1988 – Stacey Allison via the Southeast Ridge
First legally blind person to ascend: May 25, 2001 – Erik Weihenmeyer
First person to hike from sea level to summit with no oxygen: May 11, 1990 – Tim McCartney-Snape (Australia)
First ski descent: October 7, 2000 – Davo Karnicar (Slovenia)
Highest cause of death: Avalanches (roughly 2:1 ratio over falls)