20 March

Born on this day

1936 Katsusuke Yanagisawa, Japanese climber, who ascended Cho Oyu in 2006 and Everest in 2007.
1947 Gabriele (Gabi) Hupfauer, German lady climber, who ascended Broad Peak in 1986, Gasherbrum II in 1987 and Cho Oyu in 1990.
1949 Kurt Burkard, German climber, who ascended Cho Oyu in 2003.
1952 Jindrich Martiš, Slovak climber of Czech origin, who ascended Annapurna I in 1988. He died in an avalanche near the Thorong La in 1997, aged 45.
1954 Michael Allen Boaz, American climber, who ascended Everest in 2010.
1960 Takashi Kawashima, Japanese climber, who ascended K2 in 2004.
1962 Edorta Andueza, Spanish Basque climber, who ascended Cho Oyu in 1997.
1962 James Curley, British climber, who ascended Manaslu RP in 2013.
1965 Bianba Zaxi I, Tibetan climber, who ascended Cho Oyu twice (1985 and 1994), Namcha Barwa in 1992 (first ascent), Annapurna I and Dhaulagiri I in 1993, Shisha Pangma and Cho Oyu in 1994, Gasherbrum II in 1995, Manaslu RP (?) in 1996, Nanga Parbat in 1997, Kangchenjunga and Lhotse in 1998, Everest in 1999, Broad Peak Foresummit in 2001, Makalu in 2003, K2 in 2004 and Gasherbrum I in 2007.
1965 Rustam Ali, Pakistani climber, who ascended Gasherbrum II and Gasherbrum I in 2003.
1966 Charles (Michael) Brown, American climber, who ascended Everest five times (2000, 2001, 2003, 2007 and 2010).
1967 Fernando Luchsinger, Chilean climber, who ascended Gasherbrum II in 1990, Shisha Pangma Central-Peak in 1991 and Cho Oyu in 1999.
1970 Heather MacDonald, American lady climber, who ascended Cho Oyu twice (1995 and 1996).
1973 Loveraj Singh Dharmshaktu, Indian climber, who ascended Everest seven times (1998, 2006, 2009, 2012, 2013, 2017 and 2018), Kamet in 2002, Kangchenjunga in 2008 and Manaslu M in 2023.
1973 Tomi Myllys, Finnish climber, who ascended Everest in 2009.
1973 Jeffrey Gottfurcht, American climber, who ascended Everest in 2011.
1974 Karma, Indian climber, who ascended Everest in 2019.
1975 Jean Yves Fredricsen, French climber, who ascended K2 in 2024.
1976 Olivia Cussen, American lady climber, who ascended Cho Oyu twice (2001 and 2008).
1976 Marcos Pereira Bogado Leite, Brazilian climber, who ascended Everest in 2024.
1980 Damiano Salvato, Italian climber, who ascended Everest in 2024.
1981 Qi Wei, Chinese climber, who ascended Everest in 2024.
1982 David Tracy, American climber, who ascended Everest in 2013.
1983 Shailee Basnet, Nepalese Chhetri lady climber, who ascended Everest in 2008.
1986 Ngima III, Nepalese Sherpa climber, who ascended Everest twice (2016 and 2023) and Lhotse in 2022.
1988 Navdeep Bittu, Indian climber, who ascended Everest in 2018.
1989 Da Phinju (Da Finju), Nepalese Sherpa climber, who ascended Everest twice (2011 and 2012).

Gone on this day

1991 Jan Alfred Szczepanski, Polish pioneer, who participated in two major first ascents in 1937, Ojos del Salado and Pissis, died, aged 88.
2003 Verena Bolinder (nee Müller), Swiss wife of Anders Bolinder, who together achieved several first ascents in the Andes, died under mysterious circumstances in France, aged 79.
2012 Lincoln Ross Hall, Australian climber, who ascended Annapurna II in 1983 and Everest in 2006, died, aged 56.
2013 Wallace George Lowe, pioneer from New Zealand, who participated in the expedition that made the first ascent of Everest, died, aged 89.