U Thant
3rd Secretary-General of the United Nations
In office November 30, 1961 – January 1, 1971
Preceded by	Dag Hammarskjöld
Succeeded by	Kurt Waldheim
Born	January 22, 1909 Pantanaw, Burma
Died	November 25, 1974 New York City, United States
Spouse	Daw Thein Tin

U Thant (Burmese: ဦးသန္‌့; 22 January 1909 – 25 November 1974) was a Burmese diplomat and the third Secretary-General of the United Nations, from 1961 to 1971. He was chosen for the post when his predecessor Dag Hammarskjöld was killed in an air crash in September 1961. U Thant Bio Photo From UN Photo Archives File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... The United Nations Secretary-General is the head of the Secretariat, one of the principal divisions of the United Nations. ... November 30 is the 334th day (335th in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian calendar, with 31 days remaining. ... 1961 (MCMLXI) was a common year starting on Sunday (the link is to a full 1961 calendar). ... January 1 is the first day of the calendar year in both the Julian and Gregorian calendars. ... 1971 (MCMLXXI) was a common year starting on Friday. ... Dag Hjalmar Agne Carl Hammarskjöld ( ) (July 29, 1905 – September 18, 1961) was a Swedish diplomat and the second Secretary-General of the United Nations. ... Kurt Josef Waldheim (born December 21, 1918) is an Austrian diplomat and conservative politician. ... January 22 is the 22nd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1909 (MCMIX) was a common year starting on Friday (see link for calendar). ... Image File history File links Imperial-India-Blue-Ensign. ... November 25 is the 329th (in leap years the 330th) day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1974 (MCMLXXIV) was a common year starting on Tuesday. ... New York, NY redirects here. ... January 22 is the 22nd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1909 (MCMIX) was a common year starting on Friday (see link for calendar). ... November 25 is the 329th (in leap years the 330th) day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1974 (MCMLXXIV) was a common year starting on Tuesday. ... This page is about negotiations; for the board game, see Diplomacy (game). ... The United Nations Secretary-General is the head of the Secretariat, one of the principal divisions of the United Nations. ... The foundation of the U.N. The United Nations (UN) is an international organization whose stated aims are to facilitate co-operation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress and human rights issues. ... Dag Hjalmar Agne Carl Hammarskjöld ( ) (July 29, 1905 – September 18, 1961) was a Swedish diplomat and the second Secretary-General of the United Nations. ...

'U' is an honorific in Burmese, roughly equal to 'Mister'. Thant was his only name. In Burmese he was known as Pantanaw U Thant, a reference to his home town of Pantanaw. An honorific is a word or expression that conveys esteem or respect and is used in addressing or referring to a person. ...

Early days

U Thant was born at Pantanaw, Lower Burma, and was educated at the National High School in Pantanaw and at University College, Rangoon, where he studied history. He was the eldest of four sons and was born into a family of well-to-do landowners and rice merchants. His father U Po Hnit had helped establish The Sun (Thuriya) newspaper in Rangoon and was also a founding member of the Burma Research Society. His father died when Thant was 14 and a series of inheritance disputes forced Thant's mother and her four children into difficult financial times. Burma is divided into 7 states and 7 divisions: Categories: Myanmar | Subdivisions of Myanmar | States of Myanmar | Divisions of Myanmar ... Yangon University (Burmese: ) is a university located in Kamayut Township, Yangon, Myanmar. ... Yangon (Burmese: , population 5,000,000(nearly) (2007 census), formerly Rangoon, is the largest city and former capital of Myanmar (previously known as Burma). ... The Sun (Burmese: Thuriya Dadinsa) was a Burmese language newspaper published in Burma. ... The Burma Research Society was founded on 29 March 1910 at a meeting held at the Bernard Free Library in Rangoon by J S Furnivall, J A Stewart, Gordon H Luce and Pe Muang Tin. ...

After university he returned to Pantanaw to teach at the National School and became its headmaster by the age of 25. During this time he became close friends with future Prime Minister U Nu, who was from neighbouring Maubin and the local superintendent of schools. Thant regularly contributed to several newspapers and magazines, under the pen name 'Thilawa', and translated a number of books including one on the League of Nations. U Nu (otherwise known as Thakin Nu) (1907-1995) was a Burmese nationalist and political figure. ... The League of Nations was an international organization founded as a result of the Paris Peace Conference, 1919. ...

Civil servant

When U Nu became the Prime Minister of the newly independent Burma, he asked Thant to join him in Rangoon and appointed him as Director of Broadcasting in 1948. In the following year he was appointed Secretary to the Government of Burma in the Ministry of Information. From 1951 to 1957, Thant was Secretary to the Prime Minister, writing speeches for U Nu, arranging his foreign travel, and meeting foreign visitors. He also took part in a number of international conferences and was the secretary of the first Asian-African summit in 1955 at Bandung, Indonesia which gave birth to the Non-Aligned Movement. Nickname: Kota Kembang (City of Flowers) Motto: Bermartabat (dignity) Location of Bandung in Indonesia Coordinates: Province West Java Country Indonesia Government  - Mayor Dada Rosada Area  - City 167. ... Member states of the Non-Aligned Movement (2005). ...

During this entire period, he was U Nu's closest confidant and advisor. From 1957 to 1961, he was Burma's Permanent Representative to the United Nations, and became actively involved in negotiations over Algerian independence. In 1960 the Burmese government awarded him the title Maha Thray Sithu as a commander in the Pyidaungsu Sithu Thingaha Order (similar to an order of knights). The Pyidaungsu Sithu Thingaha (lit. ...

UN Secretary General

U Thant in a meeting with American president Lyndon B. Johnson.

Thant began serving as Acting Secretary-General from November 3, 1961, when he was unanimously appointed by the General Assembly, on the recommendation of the Security Council, to fill the unexpired term of Dag Hammarskjöld. He was then unanimously appointed Secretary-General by the General Assembly on November 30, 1962 for a term of office ending on November 3, 1966. During this first term he was widely credited for his role in defusing the Cuban Missile Crisis and for ending the civil war in the Congo. Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (1024x1527, 1020 KB) Serial Number: C8692-2A Date: 02/21/1968 Credit: LBJ Library photo by Yoichi R. Okamoto Event: United Nations Secy Gen. ... Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (1024x1527, 1020 KB) Serial Number: C8692-2A Date: 02/21/1968 Credit: LBJ Library photo by Yoichi R. Okamoto Event: United Nations Secy Gen. ... November 3 is the 307th day of the year (308th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar, with 58 days remaining. ... 1961 (MCMLXI) was a common year starting on Sunday (the link is to a full 1961 calendar). ... A session of the Security Council in progress The United Nations Security Council is the most powerful organ of the United Nations. ... Dag Hjalmar Agne Carl Hammarskjöld ( ) (July 29, 1905 – September 18, 1961) was a Swedish diplomat and the second Secretary-General of the United Nations. ... November 30 is the 334th day (335th in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian calendar, with 31 days remaining. ... 1962 (MCMLXII) was a common year starting on Monday (the link is to a full 1962 calendar). ... November 3 is the 307th day of the year (308th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar, with 58 days remaining. ... 1966 (MCMLXVI) was a common year starting on Saturday (the link is to a full 1966 calendar). ... The Cuban Missile Crisis was a confrontation during the Cold War between the Soviet Union and the United States in Cuba. ...

U Thant was re-appointed for a second term as Secretary-General of the United Nations by the General Assembly on December 2, 1966 on the unanimous recommendation of the Security Council. His term of office continued until December 31, 1971, when he retired. During his time in office, he oversaw the entry into the UN of dozens of new Asian and African states and was a firm opponent of apartheid in South Africa. He also established many of the UN's development and environmental agencies, funds and programmes, including the UN Development Programme (UNDP), the UN University, UNCTAD, UNITAR and the UN Environmental Programme. December 2 is the 336th day (337th in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1966 (MCMLXVI) was a common year starting on Saturday (the link is to a full 1966 calendar). ... December 31 is the 365th day of the year (366th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 1971 (MCMLXXI) was a common year starting on Friday. ... A segregated beach in South Africa, 1982. ... The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) is the largest multilateral source of grant technical assistance in the world. ... The United Nations University (UNU) is a university established on December 6, 1973 by adoption of resolution 3081 by the United Nations General Assembly, upon the suggestion of U Thant, UN Secretary-General at the time. ... The United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) was established in 1964 as a permanent intergovernmental body, UNCTAD is the principal organ of the United Nations General Assembly dealing with trade, investment and development issues. ... The United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR) was established in 1965 as an autonomous body within the United Nations with the purpose of enhancing the effectiveness of the Organization through appropriate training and research. ... Klaus Töpfer, former UNEP Exec. ...

He had also led many successful though now largely forgotten mediation efforts, for example in Yemen in 1962 and Bahrain in 1968. In each case, war would have provoked a wider regional conflict, and it was Thant's quiet mediation which prevented war.

Unlike his two predecessors, Thant retired after ten years on speaking terms with all the big powers. In 1961 when he was first appointed, the Soviet Union had tried to insist on a troika formula of three Secretaries-General, one representing each Cold War bloc, something which would have maintained equality in the United Nations between the superpowers. By 1966, when Thant was reappointed, all the big powers, in a unanimous vote of the Security Council, affirmed the importance of the Secretary-Generalship and his good offices, a clear tribute to Thant's work. For other uses, see Cold War (disambiguation). ...

The Six Day War between Arab countries and Israel, the Prague Spring and subsequent Soviet invasion of Czechoslovakia, and the Indo-Pakistani War of 1971 leading to the birth of Bangladesh all took place during his tenure as Secretary-General. (Redirected from 1967 Six Day War) The 1967 Arab-Israeli War, also known as the Six-Day War or June War, was fought between Israel and its Arab neighbors Egypt, Jordan, and Syria. ... Languages Arabic other languages (Arab minorities) Religions Predominantly Islam Some adherents of Druze, Judaism, Samaritan, Christianity Related ethnic groups Mizrachi Jews, Sephardi Jews, Ashkenazi Jews, Canaanites, other Semitic-speaking groups An Arab (Arabic: ‎); is a member of a Non-Semetic group of people whose cultural, linguistic, and in certain cases... People in a café watch Soviet tanks roll past The Prague Spring (Czech: Pražské jaro, Slovak: Pražská jar, Russian: пражская весна) was a period of political liberalization in Czechoslovakia starting January 5, 1968 when Alexander Dubček came to power, and running until August 20 of that year when the... Combatants Mukti Bahini India Aided By  Soviet Union Pakistan Aided By United States People’s Republic of China Commanders • General M A G Osmani • General Jagjit Singh Aurora • General Sam Manekshaw • General A. A. K. Niazi • General Tikka Khan Strength India: 500,000+ Mukti Bahini: 100,000[1][2] Pakistan...

He was widely criticized in the US and Israel for agreeing to pull out UN troops in the Sinai in 1967 in response to a request from Egyptian President Nasser. In fact, countries such as India and Yugoslavia which had contributed the troops had already agreed to pull them out. U Thant tried to persuade Nasser not to go to war with Israel by flying to Cairo in a last minute peace effort. Sinai Peninsula, Gulf of Suez (west), Gulf of Aqaba (east) from Space Shuttle STS-40 The Sinai Peninsula (in Arabic, Shibh Jazirat Sina) is a triangle-shaped peninsula lying between the Mediterranean Sea (to the north) and Red Sea (to the south). ... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... Yugoslavia (Jugoslavija in Latin, Југославија in Cyrillic, English: Land of the South Slavs) describes four political entities that existed one at a time on the Balkan Peninsula in Europe, during most of the 20th century. ... Nickname: Al Qahirah (The Triumphant City) Egypt: Site of Cairo (top center) Coordinates: Government  - Governor Dr. Abdul Azim Wazir Area  - City 214 km²  (82. ...

His once good relationship with the US government deteriorated rapidly when he publicly criticized American conduct of the Vietnam War. His secret attempts at direct peace talks between Washington and Hanoi were eventually rejected by the Johnson Administration. Combatants Republic of Vietnam United States Republic of Korea Thailand Australia New Zealand The Philippines National Front for the Liberation of South Vietnam Democratic Republic of Vietnam People’s Republic of China Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea Strength US 1,000,000 South Korea 300,000 Australia 48,000... Federal courts Supreme Court Chief Justice Associate Justices Elections Presidential elections Midterm elections Political Parties Democratic Republican Third parties State & Local government Governors Legislatures (List) State Courts Counties, Cities, and Towns Other countries Politics Portal      The government of the United States of America, established by the U.S. Constitution, is... Hanoi (Vietnamese: Hà Ná»™i, Hán Tá»±: 河内)  , estimated population 3,145,300(2005), is the capital of Vietnam. ... “LBJ” redirects here. ...

Thant followed unidentified flying object reports with some interest; in 1967, he arranged for American atmospheric physicist Dr. James E. McDonald to speak before the UN's Outer Space Affairs Group regarding UFOs.^[1] An unidentified flying object, or UFO, is any real or apparent flying object which cannot be identified by the observer and which remains unidentified after investigation. ... Dr. James E. McDonald (May 7, 1920 – June 13, 1971) was an American physicist. ...

On January 23, 1971 U Thant categorically announced that he would "under no circumstances" be available for a third term as Secretary-General. For many weeks, the UN Security Council was deadlocked over the search for a successor before finally settling on Kurt Waldheim to succeed U Thant as Secretary-General on December 21, 1971 - Waldheim's 53rd birthday - and just ten days before U Thant's second term was to have ended. January 23 is the 23rd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1971 (MCMLXXI) was a common year starting on Friday. ... Kurt Josef Waldheim (born December 21, 1918) is an Austrian diplomat and conservative politician. ... December 21 is the 355th day of the year (356th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1971 (MCMLXXI) was a common year starting on Friday. ...

In his farewell address to the United Nations General Assembly Secretary-General U Thant stated that he felt a 'great sense of relief bordering on liberation' on relinquishing the 'burdens of office'. In an editorial published around December 27, 1971 praising U Thant, The New York Times stated that "the wise counsel of this dedicated man of peace will still be needed after his retirement". The editorial was entitled "The Liberation of U Thant". The United Nations General Assembly (GA) is one of the five principal organs of the United Nations. ... The New York Times is a daily newspaper published in New York City by Arthur Ochs Sulzberger Jr. ...

Death

U Thant's tomb, Shwedagon Pagoda Road, Yangon

U Thant died of lung cancer in New York on November 25, 1974. By this time Burma was ruled by a military government which refused him any honours. The then Burmese President Ne Win was jealous of U Thant's international stature and the respect that was accorded him by the Burmese populace. Ne Win also resented U Thant's close links with the democratic government of U Nu which Ne Win had overthrown in a coup d'etat on March 2, 1962. Ne Win ordered that U Thant be buried without any official involvement or ceremony. Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (1600x1200, 1256 KB) U Thants tomb, Shwedagon Pagoda Road, Yangon I, the creator of this work, hereby grant the permission to copy, distribute and/or modify this document under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License, Version 1. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (1600x1200, 1256 KB) U Thants tomb, Shwedagon Pagoda Road, Yangon I, the creator of this work, hereby grant the permission to copy, distribute and/or modify this document under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License, Version 1. ... Lung cancer is the malignant transformation and expansion of lung tissue, and is the most lethal of all cancers worldwide, responsible for 1. ... New York, NY redirects here. ... November 25 is the 329th (in leap years the 330th) day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1974 (MCMLXXIV) was a common year starting on Tuesday. ... This article or section is not written in the formal tone expected of an encyclopedia article. ... Prime Minister U Nu U Nu (otherwise known as Thakin Nu; May 25, 1907 - February 14, 1995) was a Burmese nationalist and political figure. ... A coup détat, or simply a coup, is the sudden overthrow of a government, usually done by a small group that just replaces the top power figures. ... March 2 is the 61st day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (62nd in leap years). ... 1962 (MCMLXII) was a common year starting on Monday (the link is to a full 1962 calendar). ...

From the United Nations headquarters in New York, U Thant's body was flown back to Rangoon but no guard of honour or high ranking officials were on hand at the airport when the coffin arrived. The foundation of the U.N. The United Nations (UN) is an international organization whose stated aims are to facilitate co-operation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress and human rights issues. ... NY redirects here. ... Yangon (Burmese: , population 5,000,000(nearly) (2007 census), formerly Rangoon, is the largest city and former capital of Myanmar (previously known as Burma). ...

On the day of U Thant's funeral on December 5, 1974, tens of thousands of people lined the streets of Rangoon to pay their last respects to their distinguished countryman whose coffin was displayed at Rangoon's Kyaikasan race course for a few hours before the scheduled burial. December 5 is the 339th day (340th in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1974 (MCMLXXIV) was a common year starting on Tuesday. ...

The coffin of U Thant was then snatched by a group of students just before it was scheduled to leave for burial in an ordinary Rangoon cemetery. The student demonstrators buried U Thant on the former grounds of the Rangoon University Students Union (RUSU), which Ne Win had dynamited and destroyed on July 8, 1962. July 8 is the 189th day of the year (190th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar, with 176 days remaining. ... 1962 (MCMLXII) was a common year starting on Monday (the link is to a full 1962 calendar). ...

During the period of December 5 through December 11, 1974, the student demonstrators also built a temporary mausoleum for U Thant on the grounds of the RUSU and gave anti-government speeches. In the early morning hours of December 11,1974, government troops stormed the campus, killed some of the students guarding the make-shift mausoleum, removed U Thant's coffin, and reburied it at the foot of the Shwedagon Pagoda, where it has continued to lie. December 5 is the 339th day (340th in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... December 11 is the 345th day (346th in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1974 (MCMLXXIV) was a common year starting on Tuesday. ... Shwedagon Paya The Shwedagon Paya is a 98 meter gilded stupa located in Yangon, Myanmar. ...

Upon hearing of the storming of the Rangoon University campus and the forcible removal of U Thant's coffin, many people rioted in the streets of Rangoon. Martial law was declared in Rangoon and the surrounding metropolitan areas. What has come to be known as the U Thant crisis — the student-led protests over the shabby treatment by the Ne Win government of U Thant — was crushed by the Burmese government. Yangon University   With truth and loyalty Yangon University is the most prestigious and the oldest university in Myanmar. ... It has been suggested that this article be split into multiple articles accessible from a disambiguation page. ... Yangon (Burmese: , population 5,000,000(nearly) (2007 census), formerly Rangoon, is the largest city and former capital of Myanmar (previously known as Burma). ... For other uses, see Martial law (disambiguation). ... Metropolitan area in Western Tokyo as seen from Tokyo Tower A metropolitan area is a large population center consisting of a large city and its adjacent zone of influence, or of several neighboring cities or towns and adjoining areas, with one or more large cities serving as its hub or...

In 1978, U Thant's memoirs View from the UN was posthumously published, initially by the American publishing house Doubleday. Doubleday is one of the largest book publishing companies in the world. ...

Belmont Island, in New York City waters across from United Nations headquarters, has been unofficially renamed U Thant Island and dedicated to the late Secretary-General's legacy. U Thant Island, officially Belmont Island, is an island in the East River across from United Nations headquarters at 42nd Street on Manhattan in New York City. ... New York, NY redirects here. ... United Nations headquarters in New York City, viewed from the East River. ... U Thant Island, officially Belmont Island, is an island in the East River across from United Nations headquarters at 42nd Street on Manhattan in New York City. ...

U Thant was married to Daw Thein Tin. He was survived by a daughter, four grandchildren, and three great-grandchildren. His only grandson, Thant Myint-U, is an historian and a senior official in the UN's Department of Political Affairs and the author of 'The River of Lost Footsteps', in part a biography of U Thant. Thant Myint-U is an historian and a former United Nations official. ...

Named for him

• The U Thant Peace Award acknowledges and honours individuals or organizations for distinguished accomplishments toward the attainment of world peace.
• The embassy road, Jalan U Thant in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia is named after him.

A diplomatic mission is a group of people from one nation state present in another nation state to represent the sending state in the receiving State. ... Nickname: KL Motto: Maju dan makmur (Malay: Peace and progress) Location in Malaysia Coordinates: Country Malaysia State Federal Territory Establishment 1857 Granted city status 1974 Government  - Mayor (Datuk Bandar) Abdul Hakim Borhan From 14 December 2006 Area  - City 243. ...

Trivia

• The 1996 film That Thing You Do has a reference to U Thant and his popularity in America.
• U Thant is mentioned several times in the Argentinian comic strip Mafalda by Quino.

That Thing You Do! is the name of a 1996 film, written and directed by Tom Hanks. ... Excerpt from strip #1822: Were screwed, guys! It turns out that if you dont hurry up and change the world, it ends up changing you! Mafalda, first written and drawn in 1962, is a comic and a series of animated cartoons and a movie (1982), written and drawn...

References

1. ^ Letter to U Thant / James E. McDonald. - Tucson, Ariz. : J.E. McDonald, 1967. - 2 s;Druffel, Ann; Firestorm: Dr. James E. McDonald's Fight for UFO Science; 2003, Wild Flower Press; ISBN 0-926524-58-5

External links

• UN Photos of U Thant
• Official U.N.S.G. biography
• Burma's Tomb Raiders

United Nations Secretaries-General
Gladwyn Jebb (acting) | Trygve Lie | Dag Hammarskjöld | U Thant | Kurt Waldheim | Javier Pérez de Cuéllar | Boutros Boutros-Ghali | Kofi Annan | Ban Ki-moon