The first successful ascent of Mount Everest was completed in 1953.
New Zealander Edmund Hillary and Nepali Sherpa Tenzing Norgay reached the summit on 29 May 1953, during the ninth British expedition to the mountain. They climbed the South Col route and used oxygen equipment during their summit attempt.
The expedition was led by John Hunt and included a large team of climbers, high-altitude workers, and support staff. Hillary and Norgay were part of the final summit pair after earlier attempts by other expedition members had failed. News of the achievement reached Britain just before the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II.
Mount Everest had been attempted many times before 1953, including the 1924 expedition during which George Mallory and Andrew Irvine disappeared high on the mountain. The 1953 achievement is often described as the first confirmed ascent because no earlier climbers were known to have returned from the summit.