Story Highlights
- Historical event:
- 16 May 1975
- Junko Tabei was the first woman in history who managed to conquer the world's highest summit - Mount Everest, precisely on this day in 1975.
On this day the first woman climbed to the top of the highest mountain in the world.
She was Junko Tabei from Japan, 35 years old and already with considerable experience in climbing. She previously conquered, among others, Mount Fuji in Japan and the Matterhorn in the Alps. She went to Everest as part of a 15-member exclusively female expedition, funded by the Japanese newspapers and television.
These 15 women were selected among hundreds of applicants. They started the climb accompanied by nine local Sherpa, taking the same route that Sir Edmund Hillary took when he was the first to conquer Mount Everest in 1953.
The Women’s expedition did not go without mishap. At the height of 6,300 meters, their camp was buried by an avalanche.
Junko Tabei was left unconscious buried under the snow until a Sherpa dug her out. Twelve days later, she became the first from the expedition that climbed to the top.
