Everest Time Line 1841 – 2003
1841: Sir George Everest, Surveyor General of India from 1830 to 1843, records the location of Everest.
1848: Peak B is surveyed; The height is calculated at 30,200 feet from measurements taken 110 miles away.
1852: The Great Trigonmetrical Survey of India determines the Peak XV is the highest mountain in the world.
1854: Peak B renamed Peak XV.
1856: Surveyor Andrew Waugh completes the first height measurement, declaring Everest to be 8840 meters high. (29,002 feet).
1865: Peak XV re-named Mt. Everest to honour Sir George Everest, the Surveyor General of India.
1904: J. Claude White, photographs the Eastern side of Everest from Kampa Dzong, 94 miles away. While not the first photograph of Everest ever taken, it's the first to show any significant details of the mountain.
1907: Natha Singh, a member of the British Indian Survey maps the Dudh Kosi valley - gateway to the southern route up the mountain.
1913: Captain John Noel, a British military officer, comes to within 60 miles of Everest, only to find his way blocked by an unexpected mountain range that did not appear on his faulty maps. Noel is able to view the top 1000 feet (300 meters) of Everest when it appears out of the shifting mists, a "glittering spire of rock fluted with snow".
1921: The First British Everest Reconnaissance Expedition to the mountain, led by Lt. Colonel Charles Howard-Bury. This is George Leigh Mallory's first trip to the mountain.
1922: The second British Everest expedition is led by Brigadier General C.G. Bruce. George Mallory returns along with climbers George Finch, Geoffrey Bruce, Henry Morshead, Edward Norton, Howard Somervell, and John Noel as expedition filmmaker. On June 7th, Mallory leads a third attempt on the summit that claims the lives of seven Sherpa climbers in an avalanche below the North Col, the first reported deaths on Everest.
1923: While on a lecture tour in the United States, a reporter asks Mallory why he wants to climb Everest, and Mallory immortally replies "Because it's there".
1924: The Third British Everest Expedition to the mountain, led by Acting Leader Lt. Colonel Edward Norton after Brigadier General C.G. Bruce is indisposed.
1924: Norton and Somervell attempt an oxygenless ascent, of the North Face reaching a high point of 28,126 feet (8570 meters) near the top of the Great Couloir, a height record not exceeded by anyone for the next 29 years!
1924: George Mallory and Andrew Irvine fateful attempt the summit using oxygen and Irvine's modified oxygen apparatus.
1931: The Mount Everest Committee is re-established with Sir William Goodenough as Chair.
1933: First flight over Mount Everest by two British Westland biplanes powered by turbocharged Pegasus engines.
1933: The Fourth British Expedition. A new generation of climbers attempts Everest under the Leadership of Hugh Ruttledge. May 30th: The first oxygenless summit attempt by Wyn Harris and Wager. June 1st: A second oxygenless attempt is made by Eric Shipton and Frank Smythe; the Expedition ends up unsuccessful.
1934: The eccentric Maurice Wilson attempts to solo Everest, having no mountaineering experience but possessing an inner faith to succeed. Wilson's body is later found at approximately 21,000 feet (6400 meters) below the North Col by members of the 1935 Reconnaissance Expedition.
1935: Fifth British Expedition (Reconnaissance). A small post-monsoon expedition led by Eric Shipton, that was Tenzing Norgay's first trip to the mountain as a young porter. Expedition members include Bill Tilman, Dr. C.B.M. Warren, E.G.H. Kempson, L.V. Bryant, and E.H.L. Wigram.
1936: Sixth British Expedition with Hugh Ruttledge returning as Leader. Also returning to Everest are Frank Smythe, Eric Shipton, P. Wyn Harris, E.G.H. Kempson, Dr. C.B.M. Warren, and E.H.L. Wigram along with two newcomers, P.R. Oliver and J.M.L. Gavin. Tenzing Norgay returns for his second expedition as a porter.
1938: Seventh British Expedition. Led by Bill Tilman who advocated smaller, less expensive expeditions. Accompanying Tilman are Eric Shipton, Frank Smythe, C.B.M. Warren, P. Floyd, P.R. Oliver, and Noel Odell from the tragic 1924 expedition. The expedition fails, but it had proved that a small expedition could place climbers in position for a serious summit bid.
1947: A successor to the old Everest Committee is formed - the Himalayan Committee of the Alpine Club and Royal Geographical Society.
1947: Canadian-born Brit Earl Denman attempts to illegally climb Everest from the North along with Sherpas Ang Dawa and Tenzing Norgay,
1950: In October the Communist Chinese invade Tibet, and Tibet falls under Chinese rule. Everest expeditions from the North are prohibited.
1950: After a palace revolution in which the ruling Rana family are overthrown, Nepal opens up to the West, partially as a result of the Chinese takeover in Tibet. Foreign expeditions are allowed access to the southern side of Everest for the first time.
1950: Anglo-American Nepal Reconnaissance. Organized and led by the American Dr. Charles Houston and including Bill Tilman.
1951: Without official permission from Nepal, and only a few months after the 1950 Anglo-American Nepal Reconnaissance, the Dane Klavs Becker-Larsen attempts to climb the Northern pre-war Everest route but via a southern approach.
1951: British Reconnaissance supported by the Alpine Club and the Royal Geographic Society. A post-monsoon exploration led by Eric Shipton with M.P. Ward, T. Bourdillon, W.H. Murray, and New Zealanders Edmund Hillary and H. Riddiford, the expedition was forced to contend with swollen streams, washed-out bridges, leeches, and reluctant porters.
1952: Swiss Expeditions sponsored by the Swiss Foundation for Alpine Research
1952: Russian attempt from the North led by Dr. Pawel Datschnolian,
1953: British Expedition and FIRST SUMMIT. Led by Colonel John Hunt and consisting of climbers Dr. R.C. Evans, G. Band, T. Bourdillon, A. Gregory, Edmund Hillary, W.G. Lowe, C. Noyce, M.P. Ward, M. Westmacott, and C.G. Wylie.
1955: The height of Everest is adjusted by 26 feet to 29,028 feet (8848 meters).
1956: Swiss Everest/Lhotse Expedition led by A. Eggler with W. Diehl, H. Grimm, Dr E. Leuchtold, F. Luchsinger, J. Marmet, F. Muller, E. Reiss, A. Reist, E. Schmied, H. Von Gunten and Sirdar Pasang Dawa Lama.
1958: Joint Chinese/Russian reconnaissance from the North that reaches 21,000 feet (6,400 meters) below the North Col.
1960: Chinese and Tibetan team of 214 men and women, led by Shih Chan- chun, makes the first summit of Everest via the North Col and Northeast Ridge.
1960: First Indian Expedition led by Brigadier G. Singh. Climbers Capt. N. Kumar, Sonam Gyatso, and Sherpa Nawang Gombu reach 28,300 feet (8625 meters).
1962: Illegal four-man expedition led by the American Woodrow Wilson Sayre following the pre-war British route up the North Col and NE Ridge.
1962: Second Indian Expedition with Major John Dias as leader. Returning to the SE Ridge route, climbers Sonam Gyatso, Hari Dang, and Mohan Kohli are forced to retreat from a high point of 28,600 feet (8720 meters) because of bad weather.
1963: American Expedition with Norman Dyhrenfurth as leader and including A. Auten, Barry Bishop, Jake Breitenbach, J. Corbet, D. Dingman, D. Doody, R. Emerson, Tom Hornbein, Lute Jerstad, J. Lester, Willi Unsoeld, and Jim Whittaker. The first new route and the first traverse of Everest.
1965: Third Indian Expedition, with Commander M.S Kohli as leader.
1966-1969: Nepal is closed to mountaineering during this politically tense period involving antagonists India and China.
1969: Japanese SW Face Reconnaissance Expeditions. with Naomi Uemura enters the Western Cwm and probes the lower slopes.
1970: Japanese SW Face Expedition led by the seventy-year old veteran Saburo Matsukata.
1970: Japanese Ski Expedition. Climbing along with the SW Face expedition, Yuichiro Miura skis from the South Col to the bottom of the Lhotse Face.
1971: Norman Dyhrenfurth leads an expedition with Don Whillans, Dougal Haston, Naomi Uemura, Pierre Mazeaud, and H. Bahuguna.
1971: Argentine Expedition where J. Peterek and U. Vitale reach 26,600 feet (8,100 meters).
1972: European Expedition to the SW Face led by Dr. Karl Herrligkoffer and including climbers Don Whillans, Doug Scott, Hamish MacInnes, Felix Kuen, Adolf Huber, Werner Haim, and Leo Breitenberger.
1972: British SW Face Expedition led by Chris Bonington including climbers Mick Burke, Nick Estcourt, Dougal Haston, K. Kent, Hamish MacInnes, Tony Tighe, and Doug Scott.
1973: Italian Expedition succeed via the South Col Route.
1973: Japanese Expedition. Led by Michio Yuasa, this large forty- eight man expedition attempted both the SW Face and South Col route.
1974: Spanish Expedition attempts the South Col route.
1974: French West Ridge Expedition. Led by Gerald Devouassoux, attempt to climb the West Ridge Direct.
1975: Japanese Ladies Expedition led by Mrs Eiko Hisana. On May 16 Junko Tabei of Japan became the first woman to reach the summit via the South-East Ridge.
1975: Chinese Expedition led by Shih Chan-chun, leader of the 1960 Chinese ascent, and organized by a "Party Committee" that included Wang Fu-chou, one of the 1960 summiters.
1975: British SW Face Expedition. Leader Chris Bonington and H. MacInnes, Peter Boardman, Martin Boysen, P. Braithwaite, Micke Burke, M. Cheney, C. Clarke, Nick Estcourt, Dougal Haston, and Doug Scott.
1978: First Ascent without bottled oxygen: Peter Habeler and Reinhold Messner via the South-East Ridge
1978: The first European woman and the third woman to summit Everest, Wanda Rutkiewicz, reaches the top.
1979: The first woman, Hannelore Schmatz, dies on Everest descending from the Summit after becoming only the 4th woman to Summit Everest.
1979: China opens up the north side (Tibet) again to western climbers.
1979: Andrej Stremfeli and Nejc Zaplotnik Summit via the true West ridge and descend via the Hornbein Couloir on 5/13/79.
1980: First Winter ascent Krzysztof Wielicki.
1980: Solo: Reinhold Messner via the North Col to the North Face and the Great Couloir.
1982: Laurie Skreslet first Canadian to reach the Summit.
1983: Lou Reichardt, Kim Momb, and Carlos Buhler reached the Summit via the East.
1984: Tim Macartney-Snape and Greg Mortimer reached the Summit via the North Couloir.
1988: Marc Batard sets the speed record on Everest on the South East ridge route from EBC to the Summit in 22.5 hours.
1988: The First American Woman, Stacey Allison reaches the Summit of Everest.
1990: First Married Couple to summit together: Andrej & Marija Stremfelj.
1990: First Son of a summiter to Summit Everest: Peter Hillary.
1990: First father and son to summit together: Jean Noel Roche and his son Roche Bertrand aka Zebulon.
1992: First case of two brothers to reach the Summit together: Alberto and Felix Inurrategui.
1993: The first Nepalese woman, Pasang Lhamu Sherpa, summits Everest.
1995: The first ascent of the Northeast Ridge, by Kiyoshi Furuno, Shigeki Imoto, Dawa Tshering Sherpa, Pasang Sherpa, and Nima Sherpa.
1995: George Mallory, grandson of George Leigh Mallory, Summits Everest.
1996: 15 die on Everest, the most in a single year, including the most successful guide of his time, the great climber Rob Hall.
1996: Ang Rita Sherpa (born 1947), Summits Everest for the 10th time. (1983,1984,1985,1987,1988,1990,1992,1993,1995,and 1996 all ascents without bottled oxygen.)
1996: The first ascent of the North-Northeast couloir by Peter Kuznetzov, Valeri Kohanov and Grigori Semikolenkov.
1996: Hans Kammerlander completed the fastest ascent via the standard North Col-north ridge-north face Route: 16 hours 45 minutes from base camp.
1999: Lev Sarkisov, at age 60, became the oldest man to summit Everest.
1999: Babu Chiri Sherpa spent 21 hours and 30 minutes on the Summit of Everest.
1999: George Mallory's body is found by and expedition lead by Eric Simonson.
1999: The National Geographic Society revised the elevation of Everest to 29,035 feet (8850 meters).
2000: New Speed Record Nepal Side: Babu Chiri Sherpa; from Everest base camp to the Summit via the South East ridge in 16 hours and 56 minutes.
2000: Apa Sherpa Summits for the 11th time.
2000: Anna Czerwinska, at age 51, is the oldest woman to climbed Everest
2000: First true Ski descent: Davo Karnicar.
2001: Roche Bertrand and his wife Claire Bernier Roche flew together on a tandem paraglider from the North side Summit of Everest.
2001: Stefan Gatt the first to Snowboard from the Summit of Everest.
2001: Marco Siffredi on his Snowboard completed the first-ever descent of Everest.
2001: Temba Tsheri Sherpa, at age 16, is the youngest person to Summit Everest.
2001: American Sherman Bull, at age 64, is the oldest person to summit Mount Everest.
2001: American Erik Weihenmayer is the first ever blind person to Summit Everest.
2003: Yuichiro Miura, at age 70, is the oldest man to reach the Summit.
2003: American Gary Guller is the first person with only one arm to Summit Everest.
2003: George Dijmarescu Summits Everest five times from the North in 5 years!
2003: Apa Sherpa Summits Everest for a record 13th time.
2003: The Chinese Broadcast LIVE from the Summit of Everest again.
2003: Jess Roskelley Become the youngest American to Summit Everest.
2003: Babu's Sherpa Speed ascent record is broken.
2003: Three Brothers Summit Everest on the same day.
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