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Photograph of Secretary General of the United Nations U Thant

Thant, U 1909 - 1974

U Thant, a Burmese diplomat, served as the third Secretary General of the United Nations from 1961 until his retirement in 1971. In his role as Secretary General, he worked to resolve the Cuban Missile Crisis and to restore peace in the Congo, Indochina, and in the Middle East. Prior to serving as Secretary General, U Thant served as Myanmar's director of broadcasting in 1948 and as secretary to the prime minister from 1951-1957. He died of lung cancer in 1974.

Photograph of Secretary General of the United Nations U Thant

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