【Jin Seo】

Sunday's Google Doodle celebrated the feats of Junko Tabei,Jin Seo the first woman to reach the ceiling of the earth by scaling Mount Everest, on what would have been the legendary climber's 80th birthday.

Original image has been replaced. Credit: Mashable

Born Sept. 22, 1939, in Miharu, Japan, Tabei and led a team of Japanese women to the top of Mount Everest in May 1975. Her Everest adventure broke ground not just as the first woman to summit the mountain but for the cultural statement it made in her home country.

In a 2012 interview with the Japan Times, Tabei said, “Back in 1970s Japan, it was still widely considered that men were the ones to work outside and women would stay at home... Even women who had jobs — they were asked just to serve tea. So it was unthinkable for them to be promoted in their workplaces.”

---

You May Also Like

---

---

Nevertheless, she persisted, telling the Times, “There was never a question in my mind that I wanted to climb that mountain, no matter what other people said."

Mashable Light Speed Want more out-of-this world tech, space and science stories? Sign up for Mashable's weekly Light Speed newsletter. By clicking Sign Me Up, you confirm you are 16+ and agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Thanks for signing up!

Everest was hardly Tabei's only conquest. In 1992, she also became the first woman to climb the "Seven Summits," the highest peaks on all seven continents, including Mount Kilimanjaro in Africa and Mount Denali (then Mount McKinley) in Alaska.

Later in her life, Tabei's focus came to include preservation, studying the effects climbers (and their waste) were having on the summits she loved to climb.

But Tabei kept climbing until the end. Speaking to Outsidemagazine just a few months before her death from cancer in Oct. 2016, she explained why she continued to summit the highest peaks in dozens of countries.

You continued to push yourself after Everest. You’ve climbed the Seven Summits, and many others since. What motivates you to keep climbing?It is because I love mountains. I love to go wherever I’ve never been before. So I am challenging myself to climb all the highest peaks of all countries of the world. I am now 76, and have scaled the highest peaks of 76 countries. I am suffering cancer but I would like to keep going my way and climb mountains.  

Not just a great climber, but an amazing human, Tabei is certainly a person worth celebrating, in a Google Doodle and beyond.

• Science
• Shopping
• Entertainment
• Tech
• Social Good
• Life
• Digital Culture
• Deals

• Best iPad deal: Save $132 on Apple iPad (10th Gen)
• A channel you never watch is where you should tune in to tonight's presidential debate
• Now you can register to vote at 'Hamilton'
• Oculus chiefs speak out on Palmer Luckey's alleged funding of anti
• Best JBL deal: Save $80 on JBL Xtreme 4 portable speaker
• Just like 'Pokémon Go,' the game's $35 Plus wearable needs some work
• First presidential debate or 'Monday Night Football'? The choice is yours, America
• Louis Theroux casually compares Donald Trump to Brexit
• 4GHz CPU Battle: AMD 2nd
• First presidential debate or 'Monday Night Football'? The choice is yours, America

• 'The Last Guardian' is a half
• More than movie magic: How 'Lion' integrates Google Earth in its stirring story
• 'Game of Thrones' actor Peter Vaughan dies at 93
• Snap, Inc. lists positions for 3D character and video game developers
• Bill Gates' favorite books of 2016 are the most Bill Gates books ever
• Justin Trudeau has worked his way back into our hearts
• David Beckham's tattoos turned into animated illustrations for an important reason
• 'Westworld' could be even better than 'Lost' in Season 2
• Instagram is changing comments in a big way
• The first photo from a new Earth

• Stablecoin bill advances in U.S. Senate as Trump critics call to end his crypto dealings
• MTV launches new animated, digital docu
• Look at this gorgeous hand
• India to ratify Paris Agreement climate pact on Oct. 2
• How to Reboot and Reset Android Devices
• John Oliver uses gross raisin cookies to demonstrate what a Trump presidency would be like
• This is why you should be concerned about a seemingly innocent Zombie attack
• 7 can't
• Fyre Festival and Trump’s Language
• Stephen Hawking says humanity needs to venture into space for our survival

• NYT Connections Sports Edition hints and answers for April 26: Tips to solve Connections #215
• Sophie Turner shuts down tabloid rant against Emma Watson in 1 tweet
• Virtual reality ads are in high demand
• A channel you never watch is where you should tune in to tonight's presidential debate
• Best Sony headphones deal: Over $100 off Sony XM5 headphones
• 'Sherlock' releases cryptic Season 4 episode titles
• Singing man completely shuts down a dissenter at Dublin pro
• Best gift card deal: Get a free $20 REI gift card when you buy a $100 REI gift card
• Best headphones deal: Save up to 51% on Beats at Amazon
• How to watch ELeague's 'Overwatch' Open this week