On May 29, 1953, Edmund Hillary of New Zealand and Tenzing Norgay of Nepal became the first people known to stand on top of Mount Everest. The mountain rises 29,032 feet, taller than any other peak on Earth. The two men were part of a British expedition led by John Hunt. The team included over 400 people, including guides and helpers who carried supplies up the mountain. Climbers set up camps at higher and higher points. The air near the top has very little oxygen, making it hard to breathe or think clearly. Hillary and Tenzing carried heavy tanks of oxygen on their backs. On the final push, they climbed a steep rock face now called the Hillary Step. At 11:30 in the morning, they reached the summit. Tenzing buried some chocolate and biscuits in the snow as an offering. Hillary snapped photographs as proof they had made it. They spent only about fifteen minutes at the top before starting back down. When the news reached England, it arrived on the same day as Queen Elizabeth's coronation. The double celebration made the achievement even more famous.