International Everest Day 2024: Date, History, Significance, & Facts

International Everest Day is observed on 29 May in Nepal and New Zealand to remember the first successful summit of Mount Everest by Sir Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay in 1953

Every year, Mount Everest Day or International Everest Day is celebrated on 29 May. The day is committed to honouring the two brave climbers named Sir Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay Sherpa who were the first to climb the highest mountain in the world on 29 May 1953.

People celebrate the International Everest Day to commemorate those individuals who climbed Mount Everest after battling many obstacles. This is an appropriate opportunity to undertake and participate in various activities like trekking, hill climbing, and so on.

International Everest Day 2024: History 

Everest stands tall at 29,029 feet. It was declared the tallest mountain on the planet in 1841 by a British survey team which was led by Sir George Everest. The mountain was named after him 24 years later. 

The day is committed to honouring the two brave climbers named Sir Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay Sherpa who climbed the highest mountain on 29 May 1953. 

International Everest Day: Importance

The day celebrates human spirit and endurance. It is a remarkable reminder of the resilience and determination of outstanding humans like Sir Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay Sherpa who dared to achieve the impossible. 

It requires around two months for a climber to arrive at the Mount Everest peak, which is the highest mountain on the planet. It is viewed as a highly challenging task, and very few individuals are able to achieve it every year.

Everest Day: 5 Significant Facts

    • There are very strong winds at the highest point of the mountain for the major part of the year, and for that reason getting over the mountain all through the year is impossible. May and September are the best months to try the climb as winds reduce in those two months.       

    • So far, there have been over 4000 climbers who have effectively climbed the summit up to this point.       

    • Two sherpas, Apa and Phurba Tashi hold the record of arriving at the mountain peak on 21 occasions.       

    • An Indian mathematician and surveyor, Radhanath Sikdar was the first person to distinguish the range of mountains which were perceived as the tallest mountain eventually.      

    • The first climbers to climb the highest point of Everest were Edmund Hillary from New Zealand and a Sherpa, Tenzing Norgay from Nepal. At the helm of things, the two of them were part of a British Expedition with Colonel John Hunt.