May 29 1953 : Hillary and Tenzing reach Everest summit

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. 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.

Mount Everest sits on the crest of the Great Himalayas in Asia, lying
on the border between Nepal and Tibet. Called Chomo-Lungma, or "Mother
Goddess of the Land," by the Tibetans, the English named the mountain
after Sir George Everest, a 19th-century British surveyor of South
Asia. The summit of Everest reaches two-thirds of the way through the
air of the earth's atmosphere--at about the cruising altitude of jet
airliners--and oxygen levels there are very low, temperatures are
extremely cold, and weather is unpredictable and dangerous.

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. A raging storm forced them
to abort their ascent, but the mountaineers, among them George Leigh
Mallory, had seen what appeared to be a feasible route up the peak. It
was Mallory who quipped when later asked by a journalist why he wanted
to climb Everest, "Because it's there."

A second British expedition, featuring Mallory, returned in 1922, and
climbers George Finch and Geoffrey Bruce reached an impressive height
of more than 27,000 feet. In another attempt made by Mallory that
year, seven Sherpa porters were killed in an avalanche. (The Sherpas,
native to the Khumbu region, have long played an essential support
role in Himalayan climbs and treks because of their strength and
ability to endure the high altitudes.) In 1924, a third Everest
expedition was launched by the British, and climber Edward Norton
reached an elevation of 28,128 feet, 900 vertical feet short of the
summit, without using artificial oxygen. Four days later, Mallory and
Andrew Irvine launched a summit assault and were never seen alive
again. In 1999, Mallory's largely preserved body was found high on
Everest--he had suffered numerous broken bones in a fall. Whether or
not he or Irvine reached the summit remains a mystery.

Several more unsuccessful summit attempts were made via Tibet's
Northeast Ridge route, and after World War II Tibet was closed to
foreigners. In 1949, Nepal opened its door to the outside world, and
in 1950 and 1951 British expeditions made exploratory climbs up the
Southeast Ridge route. In 1952, a Swiss expedition navigated the
treacherous Khumbu Icefall in the first real summit attempt. Two
climbers, Raymond Lambert and Tenzing Norgay, reached 28,210 feet,
just below the South Summit, but had to turn back for want of
supplies.

Shocked by the near-success of the Swiss expedition, a large British
expedition was organized for 1953 under the command of Colonel John
Hunt. In addition to the best British climbers and such highly
experienced Sherpas as Tenzing Norgay, the expedition enlisted talent
from the British Commonwealth, such as New Zealanders George Lowe and
Edmund Hillary, the latter of whom worked as a beekeeper when not
climbing mountains. Members of the expedition were equipped with
specially insulated boots and clothing, portable radio equipment, and
open- and closed-circuit oxygen systems.

Setting up a series of camps, the expedition pushed its way up the
mountain in April and May 1953. A new passage was forged through the
Khumbu Icefall, and the climbers made their way up the Western Cwm,
across the Lhotse Face, and to the South Col, at about 26,000 feet. On
May 26, Charles Evans and Tom Bourdillon launched the first assault on
the summit and came within 300 feet of the top of Everest before
having to turn back because one of their oxygen sets was
malfunctioning.

On May 28, Tenzing and Hillary set out, setting up high camp at 27,900
feet. After a freezing, sleepless night, the pair plodded on, reaching
the South Summit by 9 a.m. and a steep rocky step, some 40 feet high,
about an hour later. Wedging himself in a crack in the face, Hillary
inched himself up what was thereafter known as the Hillary Step.
Hillary threw down a rope, and Norgay followed. At about 11:30 a.m.,
the climbers arrived at the top of the world.

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 learned of the achievement on June
1, the eve of her coronation. The next day, the news broke around the
world. Later that year, Hillary and Hunt were knighted by the queen.
Norgay, because he was not a citizen of a Commonwealth nation,
received the lesser British Empire Medal.

Since Hillary and Norgay's historic climb, numerous expeditions have
made their way up to Everest's summit. In 1960, a Chinese expedition
was the first to conquer the mountain from the Tibetan side, and in
1963 James Whittaker became the first American to top Everest. In
1975, Tabei Junko of Japan became the first woman to reach the summit.
Three years later, Reinhold Messner of Italy and Peter Habeler of
Austria achieved what had been previously thought impossible: climbing
to the Everest summit without oxygen. Nearly two hundred climbers have
died attempting to summit the mountain. A major tragedy occurred in
1996 when eight climbers from various nations died after being caught
in a blizzard high on the slopes.

May 29 1962

The related naval battles of Barfleur and La Hougue took place between 29 May and 4 June New Style(NS), 1692 (19th-24 May in the Old Style(OS) Julian calendar then in use in England). The first action took place near Barfleur; later actions were at Cherbourg and Saint-Vaast-la-Hougue in the Cotentin peninsula, Normandy, France. It was the decisive naval battle of the War of the Grand Alliance.

In May 1692 the French fleet of 44 ships of the line under the command of the Comte Anne Hilarion de Tourville was preparing to transport an invading army of Franco-Irish troops to restore James II to the English throne. The French victory at the Battle of Beachy Head two years earlier, in June 1690, had opened up the possibility of destroying the allied fleet and landing an invading army. Tourville boldly engaged the 82 strong Anglo-Dutch fleet at Barfleur. After a fierce but indecisive clash, which left many ships on both sides damaged, Tourville was able to disengage. He slipped off into light fog and for several days tried to escape the superior forces. The French fleet was scattered, and 15 were lost, 3 at Cherbourg and a further 12 at La Hougue. The threat of invasion of England was lifted.

King Louis XIV and his naval minister, Pontchartrain, planned to land an army in England and restore James II to the throne. They first planned to launch the invasion in April 1692 before the English and Dutch fleets had got to sea and joined up. Troops were collected at Saint-Vaast-la-Hougue and the cavalry and guns were to be loaded into transports at Le Havre. Tourville was to bring the French fleet up from Brest and collect the transports and the troops, then fight off the English fleet and land the army in England.

However the French fleet was unable to concentrate in time; D’Estrees and the Toulon fleet were beaten back at the Straits of Gibraltar losing 2 ships in a storm, and Villette Mursay with the Rochefort squadron was delayed. Tourville's Brest fleet was undermanned, and when he sailed , on 29th April he was forced to leave 20 ships under Chateau-Renault behind. His fleet was further delayed by adverse winds and did not clear Berteaume Roads until 2nd May . Tourville entered the Channel with 37 ships of the line, accompanied by 7 fireships, plus frigates, scouts, and transports. He was joined on 15th May(OS) by Villette and the Rochefort squadron, 7 ships of the line and attendant vessels, giving Tourville a combined fleet of 44 ships, plus attendant vessels 70 or 80 sail altogether.

Meanwhile the allied fleet was assembling at St Helens on the Isle of Wight; Delaval arrived off St Helens on 8th May; next day he was joined by Carter, who had been in the western channel guarding a convoy, and delivering troops to Guernsey. The Dutch had despatched a fleet, under Almonde, from Texel in April, which was making its way south Ashby sailed from the Nore on 27th April..Russell was delayed until 29th, but gained time by making a risky passage through the Gull channel. He met Almonde at the Downs , and a further Dutch squadron at Dungeness, arriving at St Helens in the second week in May. More detachments joined over the next few days, until 14th May(OS), when Russell had a force of over 80 ships of the line, plus auxiliaries. Thus by 14th May, when the allied fleet was fully assembled, the French strategic aim of acting with a concentrated force while the allies were scattered was already lost.

However Louis XIV had furnished Tourville with strict orders to seek battle, strong or weak (fort au faible) and this he proceeded to do.

The fleets sighted each other at first light on 29th May (NS)(19th May 1692, off Cap Barfleur. On sighting the allied fleet Tourville held a conference with his officers. Their advice, and his own opinion, was against action; however Tourville felt bound by strict orders from the king to engage. He may also have expected some defections by English captains with Jacobite sympathies, though in this he was to be disappointed. In the light south westerly breeze the fleets slowly closed, Russell from the northeast, Tourville, with the weathergage, from the south, on a starboard tack to bring his line of battle into contact with Russells. Both fleets were in three squadrons, each split into three divisions and commanded by a flag oficer.

Because of the calm conditions it was not until after 11 am, five hours after first sighting each other, that the two fleets engaged. Tourville had reinforced his centre, the White squadron under his own command, in order to engage Russells Red squadron with close to equal numbers. Elsewhere, he sought to minimize damage by extending and refusing the van, to avoid them being turned and overwhelmed, while the rear was held back to keep the weathergage. Russell countered by holding fire as long as possible, to allow the French to come closer; Almonde, in the van extended to try and overlap the French line, while Ashby, with the rear and some way off, sought to close and bring his Blue squadron into action. From around 11 am, and for the next few hours, both fleets bombarded each other, causing considerable damage.

The battle continued for the rest of the day and into the night, and was full of incident. At 1pm a change in the wind allowed Shovell to break teh French line, and the Dutch to start enveloping the French van; at 4pm a flat calm descended, leaving both fleets in a fog; at 6pm Tourville was able to use the tide to gain a respite, and at 8pm Shovell used the same tide for a fireship attack.

By 10 pm the battle was almost over. Surprisingly, though most ships on both sides were damaged, and some severely, no ships from either battle line were lost. At the turn of the tide, Tourville again took advantage of this to cut cables and be carried down channel on the ebb, away from the scene of battle. Russell also cut when he realized what had happened, to give chase into the night.

On the 30 May(NS)(20th May OS) the French withdrawal was hampered by wind and tide, and the fact that, due to economies by the French Naval Ministry, many of the ships had anchors inadequate to withstand the strong tidal races in the region. There was also the lack of a fortified haven at Cherbourg. Tourville probably tried for too long to save his magnificent flagship, the Soleil Royal, but eventually he realised it was hopeless and switched his command to the Ambitieux, the flagship of Villette Mursay.

First light on the 30th May(20th May OS) saw the French fleet scattered into groups across a wide area. To the north of the battle scene, and heading northward, were Gabaret, and Langeron, with 4 ships altogether. Later that day they skirted the English coast and headed out to the Atlantic. Later they would arrive safely at Brest. To the South, Nesmond, with 6 ships, was heading south-east towards the Normandy coast. 2 of these would be beached at St Vaast la Hougue, while another 2 would later put into Le Havre, where L’Entendu was wrecked at the harbour entrance. Nesmond, with the remaining 2 ships Monarque and Aimable, passed through the Straits of Dover, and led them north-about round the Britain, finally arriving safe at Brest. Heading West was the main body in 3 groups; Villette leading with 15, followed by d’Amfreville with 12, and bringing up the rear , Tourville with 7. During the day the French were able to close up, but Tourville was hampered by his efforts to save his flagship, Soleil Royal, which was in a pitiable condition. Later that day Tourville recognized this and transferred his flag to L’Ambiteux.

In pursuit was Almonde and the Dutch fleet, with the various English divisions scattered behind. Many of these, particularly those of the English Red were hampered by damage, and lagged behind, leaving Almonde and Ashby closed up to the French by the end of the day. Russell was forced to detach 3 ships to return to port for repairs. Later these sighted Gabarets group, but neither engaged. Shovell had to move his flag to Kent due to the damage to his flagship, Royal William, while the damage to Britannia, Russells flagship, caused his division serious delay.

On 31st May(21st May OS) the French fleet was anchored against the tide off Cap de la Hague; the leading contingent, 21 under Pannetier, had rounded the cape and were in the Alderney Race, while the remainder, 13 with Tourville and the other flag officers, were to the east. As the weather deteriorated, these ships began to drag their anchors, and were forced to cut and run before the wind and tide. 3 of the most badly damaged were forced to beach at Cherbourg; the rest, 10 ships, reached St Vaast la Hougue where they too were beached, joining the 2 of Nesmond’s division that were already there. Russell’s and the ships with him, together with some of Ashby’s Blue squadron, also cut to pursue him, while Ashby himself, with Almonde, continued to shadow Pannetiers group. Pannetier, in order to escape the pursuing allied fleet, wished to make the hazardous passage through the Alderney Race; in this he was helped by finding in his crew a local man, Herve Riel, to act as pilot when his navigators demurred. Almonde and Ashby did not try to follow him and were criticized later by Russell for not doing so, although the only flag officer who knew the waters, Carter, had died of his wounds. Almonde attempted pursuit by taking his squadron west of Alderney, but the delay allowed Pannetier to pull too far ahead, and he abandoned the chase. Pannetier later reached St Malo in safety, while Almonde and Ashby turned east to rejoin Russell at la Hougue.

While Almonde and Ashby pusued Pannetier, Russell was chasing Tourville eastward along the Cotentin coast. Without anchors Tourville was unable to do more than beach his ships, which he was able to do, leaving three at Cherbourg and taking the remaining twelve to St Vaast la Hougue.

On May 30:

2003 - The Air France Concorde made its final commercial flight from Paris to New York City.

May 31 1962:

Near Tel Aviv, Israel, Adolf Eichmann, the Nazi SS officer who organized Adolf Hitler's "final solution of the Jewish question,"
was executed for his crimes against humanity.

June 1 1968:

Helen Keller dies in Westport, Connecticut, at the age of 87.
Blind and deaf from infancy, Keller circumvented her disabilities to become a world-renowned writer and lecturer.

Helen Adams Keller was born on June 27, 1880, on a farm near Tuscumbia, Alabama.
A normal infant, she was stricken with an illness at 19 months, probably scarlet fever, which left her blind and deaf.
For the next four years, she lived at home, a mute and unruly child.
Special education for the blind and deaf was just beginning at the time, and it was not until after Helen's sixth birthday that her parents had her examined by an eye physician interested in the blind.
He referred the Kellers to Alexander Graham Bell, the inventor of the telephone and a pioneer in teaching speech to the deaf.
Bell examined Helen and arranged to have a teacher sent for her from the Perkins Institution for the Blind in Boston.

The teacher, 20-year-old Anne Sullivan, was partially blind.
At Perkins, she had been instructed how to teach a blind and deaf student to communicate using a hand alphabet signaled by touch into the student's palm.
Sullivan arrived in Tuscumbia in March 1887 and immediately set about teaching this form of sign language to Helen.
Although she had no knowledge of written language and only the haziest recollection of spoken language, Helen learned her first word within days: "water."
Keller later described the experience: "I knew then that 'w-a-t-e-r' meant the wonderful cool something that was flowing over my hand.
That living word awakened my soul, gave it light, hope, joy, set it free."