1896–1902: Surveys by Robert Muldrow, George Eldridge, Alfred Brooks.

1913: First ascent, by Hudson Stuck, Harry Karstens, Walter Harper, and Robert Tatum via the Muldrow Glacier route.

1932: Second ascent, by Alfred Lindley, Harry Liek, Grant Pearson, Erling Strom. (
Both peaks were climbed.)

1947: Barbara Washburn becomes the first woman to reach the summit while her husband Bradford Washburn becomes the first person to summit twice.

1951: First ascent of the West Buttress Route, led by Bradford Washburn.

1954: First ascent of the very long South Buttress Route by George Argus, Elton Thayer (died on descent), Morton Wood, and Les Viereck.
Deteriorating conditions behind the team pushed them to make the first traverse of Denali.
The Great Traleika Cirque, where they camped just below the summit, was renamed Thayer Basin, in honor of the fallen climber.

1954 (May 27) First ascent via Northwest Buttress to North Peak by Fred Beckey, Donald McLean, Charles Wilson, Henry Meybohm, and Bill Hackett 
1959: First ascent of the West Rib, now a popular, mildly technical route to the summit.

1961: First ascent of the Cassin Ridge, named for Riccardo Cassin and the best-known technical route on the mountain.
 The first ascent team members are: Riccardo Cassin, Luigi Airoldi, Luigi Alippi, Giancarlo Canali, Romano Perego, and Annibale Zucchi.

1962: First ascent of the southeast spur, team of six climbers (C. Hollister, H. Abrons, B. Everett, Jr., S. Silverstein, S. Cochrane, and C. Wren)
1963: A team of six climbers (W. Blesser, P. Lev, R. Newcomb, A. Read, J. Williamson, F. Wright) made the first ascent of the East Buttress.
The summit was attained via Thayer Basin and Karstens Ridge.
See AAJ 1964.

1963: Two teams make first ascents of two different routes on the Wickersham Wall.

1967: First winter ascent, via the West Buttress, by Dave Johnston, Art Davidson and Ray Genet.

1967: Seven members of Joe Wilcox's twelve-man expedition perish, while stranded for ten days near the summit, in what has been described as the worst storm on record.
Up to that time, this was the third worst disaster in mountaineering history in terms of lives lost.
Before July 1967 only four men had ever perished on Denali.

1970: First solo ascent by Naomi Uemura.

1970: First ascent by an all-female team (the "Denali Damsels"), led by Grace Hoeman and the later famous American high altitude mountaineer Arlene Blum together with Margaret Clark, Margaret Young, Faye Kerr and Dana Smith Isherwood.

1972: First descent on skis down the sheer southwest face, by Sylvain Saudan, "Skier of the Impossible".

1976: First solo ascent of the Cassin Ridge by Charlie Porter, a climb "ahead of its time".

1979: First ascent by dog team achieved by Susan Butcher, Ray Genet, Brian Okonek, Joe Redington, Sr.,
and Robert Stapleton.

1984: Uemura returns to make the first winter solo ascent, but dies after summitting.
Tono Križo, František Korl and Blažej Adam from the Slovak Mountaineering Association climb a very direct route to the summit, now known as the Slovak Route, on the south face of the mountain, to the right of the Cassin Ridge.

1988: First successful winter solo ascent.
Vern Tejas climbed the West Buttress alone in February and March, summitted successfully, and descended.

1990: Fastest solo speed ascent record.
Anatoli Boukreev completed the west rib ascent in 10 hours and 30 mins from the base to the summit.

1997: First successful ascent up the West Fork of Traleika Glacier up to Karstens Ridge beneath Browne Tower.
This path was named the "Butte Direct" by the two climbers Jim Wilson and Jim Blow.

2015: On June 24, a survey team led by Blaine Horner placed two global positioning receivers on the summit to determine the precise position and elevation of the summit.
 The summit snow depth was measured at 15 ft (4.6 m).
 The United States National Geodetic Survey later determined the summit elevation to be 20,310 ft (6,190 metres).
1896–1902: Surveys by Robert Muldrow, George Eldridge, Alfred Brooks.
1913: First ascent, by Hudson Stuck, Harry Karstens, Walter Harper, and Robert Tatum via the Muldrow Glacier route.
1932: Second ascent, by Alfred Lindley, Harry Liek, Grant Pearson, Erling Strom. (Both peaks were climbed.)
1947: Barbara Washburn becomes the first woman to reach the summit while her husband Bradford Washburn becomes the first person to summit twice.
1951: First ascent of the West Buttress Route, led by Bradford Washburn.
1954: First ascent of the very long South Buttress Route by George Argus, Elton Thayer (died on descent), Morton Wood, and Les Viereck. Deteriorating conditions behind the team pushed them to make the first traverse of Denali. The Great Traleika Cirque, where they camped just below the summit, was renamed Thayer Basin, in honor of the fallen climber.
1954 (May 27) First ascent via Northwest Buttress to North Peak by Fred Beckey, Donald McLean, Charles Wilson, Henry Meybohm, and Bill Hackett 
1959: First ascent of the West Rib, now a popular, mildly technical route to the summit.
1961: First ascent of the Cassin Ridge, named for Riccardo Cassin and the best-known technical route on the mountain.  The first ascent team members are: Riccardo Cassin, Luigi Airoldi, Luigi Alippi, Giancarlo Canali, Romano Perego, and Annibale Zucchi.
1962: First ascent of the southeast spur, team of six climbers (C. Hollister, H. Abrons, B. Everett, Jr., S. Silverstein, S. Cochrane, and C. Wren)
1963: A team of six climbers (W. Blesser, P. Lev, R. Newcomb, A. Read, J. Williamson, F. Wright) made the first ascent of the East Buttress. The summit was attained via Thayer Basin and Karstens Ridge. See AAJ 1964.
1963: Two teams make first ascents of two different routes on the Wickersham Wall.
1967: First winter ascent, via the West Buttress, by Dave Johnston, Art Davidson and Ray Genet.
1967: Seven members of Joe Wilcox's twelve-man expedition perish, while stranded for ten days near the summit, in what has been described as the worst storm on record. Up to that time, this was the third worst disaster in mountaineering history in terms of lives lost. Before July 1967 only four men had ever perished on Denali.
1970: First solo ascent by Naomi Uemura.
1970: First ascent by an all-female team (the "Denali Damsels"), led by Grace Hoeman and the later famous American high altitude mountaineer Arlene Blum together with Margaret Clark, Margaret Young, Faye Kerr and Dana Smith Isherwood.
1972: First descent on skis down the sheer southwest face, by Sylvain Saudan, "Skier of the Impossible".
1976: First solo ascent of the Cassin Ridge by Charlie Porter, a climb "ahead of its time".
1979: First ascent by dog team achieved by Susan Butcher, Ray Genet, Brian Okonek, Joe Redington, Sr., and Robert Stapleton.
1984: Uemura returns to make the first winter solo ascent, but dies after summitting. Tono Križo, František Korl and Blažej Adam from the Slovak Mountaineering Association climb a very direct route to the summit, now known as the Slovak Route, on the south face of the mountain, to the right of the Cassin Ridge.
1988: First successful winter solo ascent. Vern Tejas climbed the West Buttress alone in February and March, summitted successfully, and descended.
1990: Fastest solo speed ascent record. Anatoli Boukreev completed the west rib ascent in 10 hours and 30 mins from the base to the summit.
1997: First successful ascent up the West Fork of Traleika Glacier up to Karstens Ridge beneath Browne Tower. This path was named the "Butte Direct" by the two climbers Jim Wilson and Jim Blow.
2015: On June 24, a survey team led by Blaine Horner placed two global positioning receivers on the summit to determine the precise position and elevation of the summit.  The summit snow depth was measured at 15 ft (4.6 m).  The United States National Geodetic Survey later determined the summit elevation to be 20,310 ft (6,190 metres).
Denali