Today in history:


Stacy Allison of Portland, Oregon, becomes the first American woman to reach the summit of Mount Everest, which is called Chomo-Lungma, or "Mother Goddess of the Land," by the Tibetans. 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. About two dozen climbers died in attempts to reach the top of Everest in the 20th century.