International Everest Day is observed on May 29 every year. It is observed on this day as Nepalese Tenzing Norgay and New Zealand's Edmund Hillary had climbed the Mt. Everest on this day in 1953. They were the first humans to scale the height. In 2008, Nepal decided to observe the day as International Everest Day after Edmund Hillary died. Since then, every year, Mount Everest Day is observed in Nepal with processions and memorial events in Kathmandu, Nepal and the Everest region.

Edmund Hillary of New Zealand and Tenzing Norgay, a Sherpa of Nepal, become the first humans to reach the summit of Mount Everest, that lies at 29,035 feet above the sea on May 29, 1953, at 11:30 am. It is the highest point on Earth and the highest peaks of the Great Himalayas in Asia. Everest lies on the border between Nepal and Tibet. It is located in the Mahalangur Himal sub-range of the Himalayas. Also, the international border between Nepal and China runs across its summit point. Himalayas Visible From Different States of North India As Air Pollution Dips! From Mt Everest to Gangotri Glacier, Lockdown Puts India’s Mighty Mountain Ranges on Stunning Display (View Pics and Videos)

While Tibetians call it Chomo-Lungma, or 'Mother Goddess of the Land' by the Tibetans, the English named the mountain after Sir George Everest, a 19th-century British Surveyor General of India from 1830 to 1843. In Nepali, it is called Sagarmatha. The Mt. Everest Day celebration has been an important part of Nepal tourism. Often ministers, climbers, those in the tourism industry and government officials.

Last year, on International Everest Day 2020, Tenzing Hillary Everest Marathon was organised in Kathmandu. Around 100 people including 45 foreign nationals participated in the race. It was organised by Adventure Sports Tourism Society in collaboration with the Nepal Tourism Board (NTB). The marathon had started from the Everest Base Camp.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on May 29, 2020 08:30 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).