May 29, 1953★★★★★
First ascent of Mount Everest
Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay become the first people confirmed to reach the summit of Mount Everest, the world's highest peak.
Exploration· Nepal
Timeline
64 events20th century
- October 20, 1962 – November 21, 1962★★★★★
Sino-Indian War
China and India fight a Himalayan border war over Aksai Chin and present-day Arunachal Pradesh, ending in a unilateral Chinese ceasefire.
War· India, China - November 12, 1970★★★★★
1970 Bhola cyclone
A tropical cyclone strikes East Pakistan (now Bangladesh), killing an estimated 300,000 to 500,000 people, one of the deadliest natural disasters of the 20th century.
Disaster· Bangladesh, India - March 26, 1971 – December 16, 1971★★★★★
Bangladesh Liberation War
East Pakistan declares independence as Bangladesh; after nine months of war and Indian intervention, Pakistani forces surrender in Dhaka.
WarRevolution· Bangladesh, Pakistan, India - June 25, 1975 – March 21, 1977★★★★★
The Emergency in India
Prime Minister Indira Gandhi declares a national emergency, suspending elections and civil liberties until 1977.
Politics· India - July 23, 1983 – May 18, 2009★★★★★
Sri Lankan Civil War
A 26-year armed conflict between the Sri Lankan government and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) ends in the LTTE's defeat.
War· Sri Lanka - October 31, 1984★★★★★
Assassination of Indira Gandhi
Prime Minister Indira Gandhi is shot dead by two Sikh bodyguards in New Delhi after Operation Blue Star, triggering anti-Sikh riots.
DeathPolitics· India - December 1984★★★★★
Bhopal disaster
A methyl isocyanate gas leak from the Union Carbide pesticide plant in Bhopal kills thousands, the world's worst industrial disaster.
Disaster· India - May 11, 1998★★★★★
India's Pokhran-II nuclear tests
India conducts a series of nuclear weapons tests at Pokhran; Pakistan responds with its own tests later that month.
TechnologyPolitics· India, Pakistan
21st century
- June 1, 2001★★★★★
Nepalese royal massacre
Crown Prince Dipendra shoots King Birendra and several other members of the royal family at Narayanhiti Palace in Kathmandu.
DeathPolitics· Nepal - December 26, 2004★★★★★
Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami
A magnitude 9.1 earthquake off Sumatra triggers tsunamis that kill around 230,000 people across many countries.
Disaster· Indonesia, Sri Lanka, India, Thailand - December 27, 2007★★★★★
Assassination of Benazir Bhutto
Former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto, the first woman to lead a Muslim-majority country, is killed in an attack in Rawalpindi.
DeathPolitics· Pakistan - May 28, 2008★★★★★
Nepal abolishes the monarchy
Nepal's Constituent Assembly votes to abolish the Shah monarchy and declares a federal democratic republic.
Politics· Nepal - April 25, 2015★★★★★
2015 Nepal earthquake
A magnitude 7.8 earthquake strikes central Nepal, killing nearly 9,000 people and destroying heritage sites in the Kathmandu Valley.
Disaster· Nepal, India, China