In what year was the summit of Mount Everest first reached?
Answer1953
Tenzing Norgay and Edmund Hillary made the first confirmed ascent.
Source: Encyclopaedia Britannica, Mount Everest britannica.com
Nature · Facts & sources
Mountain facts & stats
6 sourced facts about mountains, each with the context behind the number. 4 more are in today's round and appear here after it closes.
The basics
About how much of the mid-ocean ridge mountain system lies underwater?
Answerabout 90%
Only in a few places does this mountain range rise above the ocean's surface.
Source: NOAA National Ocean Service oceanservice.noaa.gov
Going deeper
Glaciers hold about what share of the world's freshwater?
Answeraround 70%
Many glaciers sit high in mountain ranges, which is one reason so many people rely on mountain water.
Source: United Nations, International Mountain Day (2025) un.org
On what date is International Mountain Day observed each year?
AnswerDecember 11
The UN General Assembly designated the day, and it has been observed every year since 2003.
Source: FAO, International Mountain Day fao.org
Expert level
Which mountain's summit is farthest from the center of the Earth?
AnswerChimborazo, in Ecuador
Earth bulges at the equator, so Chimborazo's 20,564-ft summit is over 6,800 ft farther from Earth's center than Everest's.
Source: NOAA National Ocean Service oceanservice.noaa.gov
Mountains support about what share of the world's land-based biodiversity?
Answerabout one-quarter
Mountain rangelands also support pastoral communities that raise livestock at high altitude.
Source: FAO, International Mountain Day fao.org
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