On this day: May 25

/on/may-25

1924 • neutral • 5 views

1924 Everest Tragedy: First Confirmed Fatalities on the Summit Push

A wide view of the north face of Mount Everest covered in snow and ice in the early 20th-century style; steep rocky steps and high glaciers under a pale sky, no identifiable people.

On 25 May 1924, during the British Mount Everest Expedition, climbers George Mallory and Andrew 'Sandy' Irvine disappeared high on the mountain during a summit attempt; their disappearance marked the first known fatalities tied directly to a summit bid on Everest.

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1906 • neutral • 8 views

Fatalities Mar the 1906 Marathon’s Early Years

Early 20th-century road marathon scene showing runners in period athletic wear on a dusty country road with a small crowd and minimal medical presence.

On May 25, 1906, a marathon event became one of the earliest recorded long-distance running tragedies when multiple participants collapsed and died during or shortly after the race, highlighting the era’s limited understanding of endurance medicine and race safety.

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1943 • neutral • 7 views

First Public Demonstration of Penicillin Averts Wartime Deaths

A 1940s hospital ward or clinical meeting room where medical staff observe a patient’s improvement after treatment; nurses in period uniforms, clinicians in suits or white coats, glass ampoules and early medical equipment visible.

On 25 May 1943, British clinicians publicly demonstrated penicillin’s therapeutic effect, marking a turning point in infection treatment as the drug began saving lives among wounded soldiers and civilians during World War II.

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