Mankind has taken the Olympic flame to the top of the 8,844.43-meter (29,035-foot) Mt. Qomolangma (Everest) for the first time in history Thursday morning at 9:17 a.m. Beijing time, after overcoming a string of difficulties.

The 19-member team, of one ethnic Tu, 13 Tibetan, and five ethnic Han mountaineers, climbed from an 8,300-meter-high camp on Mt. Qomolangma early Thursday with the Olympic flame in a special canister.

"This is one of the greatest events in the history of the Games and a gift from the Chinese to the Olympics and people worldwide,” Chinese Vice-president Xi Jinping said in a telegram to climbers.