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U Tan3rd UN Secretary General
Date of Birth: 22.01.1909
Country:  Myanmar |
Content:
Biography of U Thant
Early Life and EducationU Thant, the 3rd Secretary-General of the United Nations, served as the head of this global forum from 1961 to 1971. He was appointed to lead the organization following the death of Secretary-General Dag Hammarskjöld in an airplane crash in September 1961. U Thant was born on January 22, 1909, in Pantanaw, Burma. He received his education at the National High School in Pantanaw and the University of Rangoon.
Early Career
Before embarking on his diplomatic career, U Thant worked in the field of education and information. He was a senior teacher at the National High School in Pantanaw, where he had previously been a student. In 1931, he became the school's director after winning a competition for English and native language teachers in secondary school. Before World War II, he served as a member of the Burma Textbook Committee and the Council for National Education, as well as a member of the Executive Committee of the Schoolmasters' Association. Additionally, he actively worked as a freelance journalist.
Diplomatic Career
In 1942, U Thant served as the secretary of the Burma Committee for the Reorganization of the Education System for several months. The following year, he returned to the National High School, where he served as director for another four years. In 1947, U Thant was appointed as the press secretary of the Burmese government. In 1948, he became the director of the Broadcasting Service and, in the following year, was appointed as the government secretary of the Ministry of Information in Burma. In 1953, U Thant became the secretary to the Prime Minister's Office, and in 1955, he additionally assumed the role of Executive Secretary of the Burmese Economic and Social Council.
UN Career
At the time of his appointment as Acting Secretary-General of the United Nations, U Thant served as the Permanent Representative of Burma to the United Nations, holding the rank of ambassador (1957-1961). During this period, he led the Burmese delegations to the General Assembly sessions and was elected as one of the Vice-Chairmen of the fourteenth session of the Assembly in 1959. In 1961, U Thant served as the Chairman of the United Nations Conciliation Commission for the Congo and as the Chairman of the Committee on the United Nations Development Fund.
Later Life and Legacy
Throughout his diplomatic career, U Thant repeatedly served as an advisor to the Prime Ministers of Burma. He assumed the role of Acting Secretary-General on November 3, 1961, when the General Assembly unanimously appointed him to complete the term of his predecessor, Dag Hammarskjöld. Subsequently, on November 30, 1962, the General Assembly unanimously appointed him as the Secretary-General for a term that ended on November 3, 1966. On December 2, 1966, upon the unanimous recommendation of the Security Council (Resolution 229, 1966), the General Assembly appointed U Thant for a second term as Secretary-General of the United Nations. His tenure ended on December 31, 1971.
U Thant received honorary degrees (doctorates of law) from various universities, including Carlton University, Ottawa, Canada (May 25, 1962); Williams College, Williamstown, Massachusetts (June 10, 1962); Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey (June 12, 1962); Mount Holyoke College, South Hadley, Massachusetts (June 2, 1963); Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts (June 13, 1963); Dartmouth College, Hanover, New Hampshire (June 16, 1963); University of California, Berkeley, California (April 2, 1964); University of Denver, Denver, Colorado (April 3, 1964); Swarthmore College, Swarthmore, Pennsylvania (June 8, 1964); New York University, New York (June 10, 1964); Moscow State University, Moscow, Soviet Union (July 30, 1964); Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario (May 22, 1965); Colby College, Waterville, Maine (June 6, 1965); Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut (June 14, 1965); University of Windsor, Windsor, Ontario, Canada (May 28, 1966); Hamilton College, Clinton, New York (June 5, 1966); Fordham University, Bronx, New York (June 8, 1966); Manhattan College, New York (June 14, 1966); University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan (May 30, 1967); University of Delhi, Delhi, India (April 13, 1967); University of Leeds, England (May 26, 1967); Catholic University of Leuven, Belgium (April 10, 1968); University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada (May 13, 1968); Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts (May 19, 1968); Rutgers University, New Brunswick, New Jersey (May 29, 1968); University of Dublin (Trinity College), Dublin, Ireland (July 12, 1968); Laval University, Quebec, Canada (May 31, 1969); Columbia University, New York City (June 3, 1969); University of the Philippines (April 11, 1970); and Syracuse University (June 6, 1970). Additionally, he received honorary degrees of Doctor of Theology from the First World Church (May 11, 1970); Doctor of International Law from the International University of Florida, Miami, Florida (January 25, 1971); Doctor of Law from the University of Hartford, Hartford, Connecticut (March 23, 1971); Honorary Doctor of Civil Law from Colgate University, Hamilton, New York (May 30, 1971); Doctor of Humanities from Duke University, Durham, North Carolina (June 7, 1971).
U Thant retired after completing his second term in 1971 and passed away on November 25, 1974, after a prolonged illness at the age of 65.
