Nepal

On this day: The first successful climb of an 8000m mountain

On June 3, 1950, French climbers Maurice Herzog and Louis Lachenal completed the first successful ascent of a mountain over 8,000m - Annapurna I. It would be 20 years until the feat was repeated. They received grand acclaim for their…

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Tuesday, 3rd June 2014

On this day: The First Known Ascent of Everest

On May 29, 1953, Tenzing Norgay and Edmund Hillary made the first known ascent of Mount Everest, the world's tallest mountain. The question of whether a 1924 expedition succeeded will remain a mystery forever. Since then, and particularly in the…

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Thursday, 29th May 2014

Mount Everest no longer world’s highest mountain

Which is closer to the surface of the moon, the summit of Mount Everest or Ecuador? Contrary to popular belief, the answer is Ecuador, as the Earth isn't a perfect sphere. As the Earth is constantly spinning, centrifugal force causes…

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Monday, 8th February 2010

Stupas Around The World

A stupa is a Buddhist monument, originally simple mounds believed to cover the remains of the Buddha. They have evolved over the centuries to be large, ornately decorated structures, and today there are hundreds of significant stupas around the world.…

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Wednesday, 29th October 2008

Mount Everest

On May 29, 1953, Sir Edmund Hillary, who died on Friday, January 11 2008, became the first person, along with sherpa Tenzing Norgay, to climb Mount Everest. At 8,848m (29,029ft), it is the highest mountain in the world. Although not…

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Friday, 11th January 2008

Welcome to Google Sightseeing!

Google Sightseeing takes you on a tour of the world as seen from satellite or street views using Google Maps. Our team of authors present weird and wonderful sights as suggested by readers.

Like this site? We published a photo book of the best entries, you should buy a copy.