In 2011 The Dalai Lama officially retired from the head of the Tibetan Government in-exile.
The Dalai Lama was the spiritual and political head of Tibet and in 1951 his government signed the ‘Seventeen Point Agreement’ with the newly formed People’s Republic of China. This agreement (which the Dalai Lama maintains was signed under duress) gave China control of Tibet.
On the 10th of March 1959 there was an uprising in Tibet against the Communist Party of China. The uprising started in the Tibetan capital of Lhasa, but soon spread across the country. After the uprising the Dalai Lama headed to India across the Himalayan Mountains with cabinet members, fearing reparations from China. They left in secret on the 16th of March and many feared he had been killed but today they arrived safely in India and were granted asylum. 80,000 more Tibetans have settled in India, following their spiritual leader and the Tibetan Government in-exile was run from India. From India the Dalai Lama has been fighting to preserve the culture of Tibet as well as publicising their plight to the world. He had attempted to make dialogue with China which has broken down on several occasions and received the Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts in advocating ‘the middle way’ which consists of genuine self control of Tibet by Tibetans, within China. He officially retired from the head of the Tibetan Government in-exile on the 29th of May 2011, passing control over to the democratically elected heads of the Central Tibetan Administration.
In 1999 Nigeria was reinstated as a member of the Commonwealth of Nations after their suspension on the 11th of November 1995.
In 1953 Edmund Hillary of New Zealand and Tenzing Norgay, a Nepalese Sherpa, become the first explorers to reach the summit of Mount Everest.
It was part of a British expedition to reach the top of the 29,035ft Mountain which is the highest point on Earth. Everest is part of the Himalaya mountain range that sits on the border of Tibet and Nepal. It was named after Sir George Everest, a 19th-century British surveyor of South Asia.
On the 8th of June 1929 British climbers George Mallory and Andrew Irvine left their base camp in an attempt to reach the summit and had never been seen since. If they managed to reach the summit or not has never been discovered but they were last seen alive at the base of the final pyramid. The body of George Mallory was found on Everest in 1999.
On this day 24 years later Edmund Hillary took photos of the view of Tenzing Norgay holding the flags of the United Nations, Great Britain, Nepal and India. Norgay also buried sweets at the summit as an offering to Buddha. The pair also searched for the bodies of Mallory and Irvine but without success. Due to the lack of oxygen they could only remain at the summit for 15 minutes before the arduous journey back down began.
News of their success reached Britain on the 2nd of June, the day before the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II. Hilary and Colonel Hunt (who help organise and joined the pair on the expedition but remained at base camp before the final ascent) were knighted for their achievement. Norgay was awarded the George cross which was the highest award that could be given to civilians outside the Commonwealth.
According to http://www.royal.gov.uk/MonarchUK/Honours/Knighthoods.aspx and http://www.royal.gov.uk/MonarchUK/Honours/Commonwealthhonours.aspx Knighthoods are only awarded to members of the Commonwealth of Nations but those outside these countries can be awarded an honorary knighthood, this however does not carry the title of Sir.
