Kangchenjunga (8,586 m) was believed to be the highest mountain in the world from 1838 until 1852, when the Great Trigonometrical Survey of India identified Mount Everest as higher.
In 1852, Mount Everest, initially called Peak XV, was declared the highest mountain at 29,002 feet after calculations from the British survey, with confirmation in 1856.
Surveyors faced harsh conditions such as malaria and monsoon rains while measuring Himalayan peaks from the lowlands due to restricted access to Nepal and Tibet at the time.
Early measurements of Everest, taken from up to 150 miles away, were incredibly accurate, considering Earth’s curvature and light refraction at various altitudes.
Everest was named after Sir George Everest, Surveyor General of India, despite local names like Sagarmatha (Nepalese) and Chomolungma (Tibetan), meaning "Mother of the Universe."
The first expedition to Everest in 1921 led by George Mallory began the pursuit of climbing the mountain, followed by many unsuccessful attempts through the northern Tibetan route.
In 1953, Edmund Hillary from New Zealand and Tenzing Norgay, a Sherpa from Darjeeling, became the first known climbers to reach the summit of Everest.
Since 1953, Everest has seen thousands of climbers, including notable Sherpa achievements like Babu Chiri’s 17-hour ascent and Apu Sherpa’s 12 summit attempts.
Tenzing Norgay passed away in 1986, and Edmund Hillary in 2008. Both made lasting contributions to the Sherpa community, building schools and supporting local development.
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