On This Day

First ascent of Eiger in the Bernese Alps in Switzerland

The Eiger is a 3,967-metre (13,015 ft) mountain of the Bernese Alps, overlooking Grindelwald and Lauterbrunnen in the Bernese Oberland of Switzerland, just north of the main watershed and border with...

The Eiger is a 3,967-metre (13,015 ft) mountain of the Bernese Alps, overlooking Grindelwald and Lauterbrunnen in the Bernese Oberland of Switzerland, just north of the main watershed and border with Valais. It is the easternmost peak of a ridge crest that extends across the Mönch to the Jungfrau at 4,158 m (13,642 ft), constituting one of the most emblematic sights of the Swiss Alps. While the northern side of the mountain rises more than 3,000 m (10,000 ft) above the two valleys of Grindelwald and Lauterbrunnen, the southern side faces the large glaciers of the Jungfrau-Aletsch area, the most glaciated region in the Alps.

Historical Significance

The Eiger is a 3,967-metre (13,015 ft) mountain of the Bernese Alps, overlooking Grindelwald and Lauterbrunnen in the Bernese Oberland of Switzerland, just north of the main watershed and border with Valais.

Events Before

  1. Tim Keefe is born

    Tim Keefe, American athlete, known for american baseball player, was born on 1857-01-01.

  2. Novelist Jules Verne (28) weds Honorine de Viane Morel

    Novelist Jules Verne (28) weds Honorine de Viane Morel

  3. National Association of Base Ball Players is founded in New York City

    The National Association of Base Ball Players (NABBP) was the first organization governing American baseball (spelled as two words in the 19th century). The first convention of 16 New York City area…

  4. University of Calcutta is founded as the first full-fledged university in South Asia

    University of Calcutta is founded as the first full-fledged university in South Asia

  5. Second Opium War: France and the United Kingdom declare war on China

    Second Opium War: France and the United Kingdom declare war on China

Events After

  1. One of the oldest known copies of the Bible, "The Codex Sinaiticus" (Sinai Bible), is seen in Egypt by Constantin von Ti

    One of the oldest known copies of the Bible, "The Codex Sinaiticus" (Sinai Bible), is seen in Egypt by Constantin von Tischendorf, who takes the manuscript home

  2. Charles Gounod's opera "Faust" premieres at the Théâtre Lyrique in Paris, France

    The Théâtre Lyrique was one of four opera companies performing in Paris during the middle of the 19th century (the other three being the Opéra, the Opéra-Comique, and the Théâtre-Italien).

  3. Charles Dickens' "A Tale of Two Cities" is first published in the literary periodical "All the Year Round" in weekly ins

    Charles Dickens' "A Tale of Two Cities" is first published in the literary periodical "All the Year Round" in weekly installments until November 26

  4. US President Chester A. Arthur (30) weds Ellen Herndon (22) at Calvary Episcopal Church in NYC, New York

    US President Chester A. Arthur (30) weds Ellen Herndon (22) at Calvary Episcopal Church in NYC, New York

  5. English naturalist Charles Darwin publishes "On the Origin of Species," radically changing the view of evolution and lay

    English naturalist Charles Darwin publishes "On the Origin of Species," radically changing the view of evolution and laying the foundation for evolutionary biology

More from the 1850s

Frequently Asked Questions

What happened on August 11, 1858?
The Eiger is a 3,967-metre (13,015 ft) mountain of the Bernese Alps, overlooking Grindelwald and Lauterbrunnen in the Bernese Oberland of Switzerland, just north of the main watershed and border with Valais. It is the easternmost peak of a ridge crest that extends across the Mönch to the Jungfrau at 4,158 m (13,642 ft), constituting one of the most emblematic sights of the Swiss Alps. While the northern side of the mountain rises more than 3,000 m (10,000 ft) above the two valleys of Grindelwald and Lauterbrunnen, the southern side faces the large glaciers of the Jungfrau-Aletsch area, the most glaciated region in the Alps.
Why is First ascent of Eiger in the Bernese Alps in Switzerland significant?
The Eiger is a 3,967-metre (13,015 ft) mountain of the Bernese Alps, overlooking Grindelwald and Lauterbrunnen in the Bernese Oberland of Switzerland, just north of the main watershed and border with Valais.

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