On May 29, in 1953, New Zealand beekeeper Edmund Hillary and Sherpa mountaineer Tenzing Norgay became the first people to stand on the 8848m summit (顶峰) of the world’s tallest mountain.
They were 1 to be given the chance. Nepal’s government would only allow one expedition (探险) a year, 2 this was a big deal. British expedition leader John Hunt asked Mr Hillary and another New Zealander, George Lowe, to join his 3 . More than 400 people on the expedition climbed the mountain in stages, moving to a 4 camp every few weeks to get used to the high altitude (海拔). At each stage, fewer and fewer people would 5 to climb.
At the final 6 , only two teams were chosen to try for the summit. The 7 team of Tom Bourdillon and Charles Evans got within 91m of the top, but had to 8 . Mr Hillary and Mr Tenzing then 9 . They ran 10 difficulties, including a 12m-high rock wall — later named “Hillary’s Step” — but became the first humans to climb to the top of the world. Because the air was so 11 and it was hard to breathe, they stayed for just a few 12 .
Mr Hillary took a photograph of Mr Tenzing on the summit, not thinking to get one of himself, before 13 pictures of the main ridges (山脊) leading away from Everest, to prove they had reached their goal.
While Mr Hillary always thought their 14 climb would interest other climbers, he did not expect 15 worldwide excitement would follow.
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