Himalayas mount Everest during a foggy sunset night, Sagarmatha
December 6, 2025 Kris Annapurna Everest Mount Everest. Photo: Britannica The discovery that Mount Everest — initially an obscure geographical point known only as Peak XV — was the world’s highest mountain was not a single “eureka” moment for one person. It was the culmination of decades of meticulous work by the British Survey of India.