Mount Everest

Friday, 11th January 2008 by

On May 29, 1953, Sir Edmund Hillary, who died on Friday, January 11 2008, became the first person, along with sherpa Tenzing Norgay, to climb Mount Everest. At 8,848m (29,029ft), it is the highest mountain in the world.

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Although not perhaps the most exciting shot out there, Google Earth's terrain feature lets you see how high it really is.

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Ascending the southeast ridge from the base camp at 5,380m (17,600ft), Hillary and his sherpa finally arrived at 11:30am, and stayed at the summit for just fifteen minutes. News of his success reached the soon-to-be Elizabeth II on the day of her coronation, and New Zealander Hillary was knighted in July of that year.

Everest is fraught with danger, and 120 bodies are thought to still remain on the mountain. Even so, more than 2060 individuals have ascended it from the surprisingly busy base camp, where you can even get internet access for $1 per minute!

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Read about Sir Edmund Hillary, Tenzing Norgay and Mount Everest at Wikipedia.

Thanks to everyone who sent this in; there were over 55 of you, so it would probably require a page of its own!