Who was the first woman to climb Mount Everest?

The first woman to climb Mount Everest was a Japanese climber named Junko Tabei who reached the summit at the age of 35. She completed her climb of Everest on May 16, 1975, and was accompanied by her Sherpa guide, Ang Tshering.

Prior to her success atop Everest, Junko Tabei had already reached the peak of Mount Fuji, as well as the Matterhorn in the Swiss Alps. In Japan, her reputation as an accomplished mountain climber was solidified by 1972. In 1992, Junko Tabei also became the first woman to join the Seven Summits Club, following her success climb of Puncak Jaya in Indonesia.