May 29: Everest Is First Summited

Today in history, May 29, 1953: two climbers stepped into air so thin that every movement became a decision. At 11:30 a.m., Edmund Hillary of New Zealand and Tenzing Norgay of Nepal reached the summit of Mount Everest, the highest point on Earth. They had climbed through icefalls, brutal cold, and the final ridge where one mistake could erase the whole expedition. Their achievement still matters because Everest became both a symbol of human courage and a warning that even our greatest triumphs leave responsibilities behind.