U Thant

U Thant was a famous diplomat from Burma.

He served as the third Secretary-General of the United Nations. This is a group where many countries work together for peace. He was the first person from Asia to hold this high job. He also was the first leader who was not from a Scandinavian country. Thant held this position for a very long time. He served for ten years and one month.

He was known for being a very calm and quiet man. People all over the world respected his steady way of working.

Thant grew up in a home that loved books. His father, Po Hnit, was a merchant and a scholar. Because his father read many books, Thant became a great reader too. His friends even gave him the nickname "The Philosopher."

Life was not always easy for his family. When Thant was fourteen, his father died. This caused his family to have very difficult financial times. Thant had to work hard to support his mother and brothers. He earned a teaching certificate and later became a headmaster.

Thant spent many years working in the government of Burma. He was a very close friend of U Nu. U Nu was the first Prime Minister of Burma. Thant helped U Nu by writing speeches and arranging travel. He also worked as a representative for Burma at the United Nations. In 1961, the previous leader, Dag Hammarskjöld, died in a plane crash.

After some arguing between big countries, Thant was chosen to lead. He wanted to help keep peace between the world's strongest lands. He worked to make sure countries could talk instead of fight.

One of his biggest jobs was during the Cuban Missile Crisis in 1962. This was a very scary time when the world could have had a nuclear war.

U.S. President John F. Kennedy showed Thant photos of missiles in Cuba. Thant helped the leaders of the U.S. and the Soviet Union talk. He suggested a plan to help both sides feel safe. This plan helped stop the danger of a huge war. Later, he also helped end a civil war in the Congo. He ordered an operation called Grandslam to help the UN forces there.

Thant's work helped the United Nations grow much larger. He watched many new countries in Africa and Asia join the group. He served until 1971 and then retired.

He was a very religious Buddhist throughout his whole life. Many people in Burma admired him very much. Even when things were hard in his home country, people remembered his work. He passed away in 1974 from lung cancer. His life showed how one person can help the whole world stay peaceful.