The first two men to reach the summit of Mount Everest were Sir Edmund Hillary of New Zealand and Tenzing Norgay, a Sherpa of Nepal. They reached the summit on May 29, 1953, as part of the British expedition led by Colonel John Hunt. This historic achievement marked the first confirmed successful ascent to the highest point on Earth, which stands at an elevation of 29,029 feet (8,848 meters). Hillary and Tenzing's successful summit of Mount Everest is considered one of the greatest accomplishments in the history of mountaineering.