Mt. Everest has a great deal of history behind it. It was named after Sir George Everest, surveyor-general of India. On May 28, 1953 Sir Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay were left behind by their companions. They hoped to be the first to climb the world's highest mountain. The next day they became the first people in the world to climb Mount Everest. They were only on the crown of the world for fifteen minutes before they had to step off the highest perch on earth.

Sir Edmund P. Hillary was a beekeeper from New Zealand. He was born in Auckland. His first attempt to climb Mt. Everest was in 1951 and 1952. The next year he reached the summit. Queen Elizabeth II knighted Hillary for his great achievement.