May 29, 1953. A New Zealand beekeeper named Edmund Hillary and a Nepali sherpa named Tenzing Norgay became the first human beings to reach the top of the world -- the 29,035 foot Mount Everest, the highest mountain on earth.
IMAGE: Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay smile during their first interview with Reuters special correspondent Peter Jackson after their legendary ascent of Mount Everest (the summit is to the right of Hillary's head) in Thyangboche, Nepal, June 6, 1953. Photograph: Peter Jackson/Reuters
IMAGE: Edmund Hillary at base camp, preparing for his attempt to be the first to reach the summit of Mount Everest, May 1953. Photograph: Express Newspapers/Getty Images
IMAGE: Tenzing Norgay and Edmund Hillary enjoy a snack on their return from the summit. Photograph: Keystone/Getty Images
IMAGE: Left to right: Tenzing Norgay, Edmund Hillary, Colonel John Hunt, the leader of the Everest expedition, his wife and another guest at a reception hosted by Calcutta's Sherpa community in their gompa or monastery for the team who successfully scaled Mount Everest, June 29, 1953. Photograph: Keystone/Hulton Archive/Getty Images
IMAGE: Then President Rajendra Prasad presents Edmund Hillary a gold medal, July 1, 1953. Photograph: Keystone/Getty Images
IMAGE: From left to right: Colonel John Hunt, Tenzing Norgay and Edmund Hillary make a jubilant return to Britain after scaling Everest, July 3, 1953. Photograph: George W. Hales/Fox Photos/Getty Images
IMAGE: Crowds of people and press photographers surround the victorious Everest team at London airport as they return from their expedition, July 3, 1953. Photograph: Ron Burton/Keystone/Getty Images
IMAGE: The Everest team arrive at London airport, July 3, 1953.
Edmund Hillary, Tensing Norgay and Colonel John Hunt holding an ice axe and Union Jack. Photograph: Topical Press Agency/Getty Images
IMAGE: With the aid of a model, Edmund Hillary, Colonel John Hunt and Tenzing Norgay present an account of their ascent of Mount Everest at a press conference at the Royal Geographical Society in Kensington, London, July 3, 1953. Photograph: Fred Ramage/Keystone/Getty Images
IMAGE: Sir Edmund Hillary at London airport, about to leave for New Zealand, April 16, 1956. He is taking a small pair of skis for his son. Photograph: Hulton Archive/Getty Images
IMAGE: Sir Edmund Hillary just after meeting English explorer Vivian Fuchs, right, at the South Pole, January 20, 1958. The two men were leading different teams of the Commonwealth Trans-Antarctic Expedition. Photograph: Vivian Fuchs/Central Press/Hulton Archive/Getty Images
IMAGE: Sir Edmund Hillary at his home in Auckland. Photograph: Michael Bradley/Getty Images
IMAGE: Then prince Charles speaks to Sir Edmund Hillary and then New Zealand prime minister Helen Clark at a reception at the Aotea centre in Auckland, New Zealand, March 9, 2005. Photograph: Michael Bradley-Pool/Getty Images
IMAGE: Statues of Sir Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay are decorated with garlands during the 60th anniversary of their ascent in Kathmandu, May 29, 2013. Photograph: Navesh Chitrakar/Reuters
Photographs curated by Manisha Kotian/Rediff.com
Feature Presentation: Ashish Narsale/Rediff.com
