Friday Headlines: May 29, 2026

Here's a quick overview of our top stories for Friday, May 29, 2026:

Watch the latest weather forecast

TOP HEADLINES:

Need something? Gallatin General Store opens in Bozeman, showcasing Montana's small businesses

What the passing of the Gallatin Gateway School levy means to parents, teachers

New owners renovate Lima hotel with charm and sweat

Extra, Extra! Survey looks at news consumption in Montana

"I was so nervous": Champ shares emotional journey to Spelling Bee win

THAT’S INTERESTING:

Here are some facts and tidbits about Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay's historic first summit of Mount Everest on May 29, 1953:

Interesting Facts About the First Everest Summit

The Timing and Achievement

• Exact timing: They reached the summit at 11:30 AM on May 29, 1953
• They spent exactly 15 minutes at the summit before beginning their descent
• The achievement came at 29,035 feet (8,848 meters) above sea level

The Climbers' Backgrounds

• Edmund Hillary was a beekeeper from New Zealand when not climbing mountains
• Tenzing Norgay was on his sixth attempt at Everest - he had previously reached a record high of 28,210 feet in 1952 with a Swiss expedition
• Hillary had only learned he was invited to join the 1953 British expedition in 1952 and immediately accepted

The Famous "Hillary Step"

• Hillary overcame a nearly vertical 40-foot (12-meter) rock face just below the summit, later named the "Hillary Step" in his honor
• He removed his oxygen mask and wedged himself into a crack between rock and ice to climb it
• This became one of Everest's most legendary obstacles for decades (until it was destroyed in the 2015 Nepal earthquake)

The Expedition Details

• This was the 9th British expedition to attempt Everest - they had been trying for 31 years
• The expedition was led by Colonel John Hunt and included 10 climbers supported by 320 porters
• A first assault team (Tom Bourdillon and Charles Evans) had reached within 300 feet of the summit on May 26 but had to turn back due to oxygen equipment failure

What They Did at the Summit

• Edmund Hillary took the famous photograph of Tenzing Norgay at the summit of Mount Everest
• Tenzing offered to take a photo of Hillary in return, but Hillary declined
• This is why we have the iconic image of Tenzing holding his ice axe with flags, but no photograph exists of Hillary at the summit

The Details:

• Hillary used a Kodak Retina compact camera loaded with Kodachrome color film
• He kept the camera tucked inside his jacket during the final ascent to prevent it from freezing
• The photo shows Tenzing holding his ice axe with the flags of Britain, India, and Nepal
• Tenzing is wearing his oxygen mask and goggles in the image

Why Hillary Declined to be Photographed:

• According to various accounts, Hillary was more focused on documenting Tenzing's achievement
• Some sources suggest Hillary was characteristically modest and didn't feel the need for his own summit photo
• The photograph of Tenzing became one of the most iconic images of the 20th century
• Tenzing left Buddhist offerings (chocolates) at the summit
• Hillary left a small cross given to him by expedition leader John Hunt
• They initially shook hands "in good Anglo-Saxon fashion," but then Tenzing embraced Hillary and pounded him on the back

The Secret Message

• News of their success was sent to London via a coded message that read: "Snow conditions bad stop advanced base abandoned yesterday stop awaiting improvement" with "All well" added at the bottom
• When decoded, it meant: "Summit of Everest reached on May 29 by Hillary and Tenzing"

Perfect Timing for History

• The news reached Queen Elizabeth II on June 1, 1953 - the day before her coronation
• This was seen as a good omen for the new Queen's reign, and the timing made the achievement even more celebrated across the British Empire

The Heroic Messenger

• A Sherpa courier named Ten Tsewang Sherpa ran 200 miles to Kathmandu to deliver the news of their success
• Tragically, he died just a few weeks later, and his story remained largely untold for decades

Equipment and Conditions

• They used bottled oxygen throughout the climb - a crucial technological advancement
• They left their final camp at 27,900 feet at 6:30 AM on May 29
• The climb took place during a narrow weather window, just before the monsoon season would have made climbing impossible

Recognition and Honors

• Hillary and expedition leader Hunt were knighted by Queen Elizabeth II
• Tenzing, not being a Commonwealth citizen, received the George Medal instead
• Some historians view this lesser honor as reflecting the racial attitudes of the era

Legacy

• Hillary's son Peter Hillary also summited Everest in 1990
• Tenzing's son Jamling Tenzing Norgay reached the summit in 1996
• Lukla Airport in Nepal was renamed Tenzing-Hillary Airport in 2008 to honor both climbers

Parts of this story were adapted for this platform with AI assistance. Our editorial team verifies all reporting across all platforms for fairness and accuracy.