2020-06-02 Tue

At 11:30 a.m. on May 29, 1953, Edmund Hillary of New Zealand and Tenzing Norgay, a Sherpa of Nepal, become the first explorers to reach the summit of Mount Everest, which at 29,035 feet above sea level is the highest point on earth.

The two, part of a British expedition, made their final assault on the summit after spending a fitful night at 27,900 feet. However, the news of their achievement broke around the world on June 2, the day of Queen Elizabeth II’s coronation, and Britons hailed it as a good omen for their country’s future.

The first recorded attempt to climb Everest was made in 1921 by a British expedition that trekked 400 difficult miles across the Tibetan plateau to the foot of the great mountain; followed by many unsuccessful attempts for several years until 1953!

News of the success was rushed by runner from the expedition’s base camp to the radio post at Namche Bazar, and then sent by coded message to London, where Queen Elizabeth II became aware of the achievement on June 1, the eve of her coronation. The next day, the news broke around the world.

The banknote depicted above is the 10 yuan banknote of the People's Bank of China issued in the year 1999. The reverse side has an image of the snowy peak of Mount Everest in the Himalayas.

Image Courtesy: banknoteworld.it