Straddling the rim of Tibet and Nepal, the world's highest mountain had remained unknown to western humankind until 1852, when surveyors discovered it during the ongoing British government's charting of India.

Who discovered the Everest first?

At 11:30 a.m. on May 29, 1953, Edmund Hillary of New Zealand and Tenzing Norgay, a Sherpa of Nepal, become the first explorers to reach the summit of Mount Everest, which at 29,035 feet above sea level is the highest point on earth.

When was the first time Everest was climbed?

Sir Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay - 1953 Everest. Edmund Hillary (left) and Sherpa Tenzing Norgay reached the 29,035-foot summit of Everest on May 29, 1953, becoming the first people to stand atop the world's highest mountain.