Who was U Thant? Everything You Need to Know

Quick Facts

Died At Age: 65

Family:

father: Po Hnit

Diplomats

Died on: November 25, 1974

place of death: New York, New York, United States

Diseases & Disabilities: Lung Cancer

Cause of Death: Lung Cancer

Notable Alumni: University Of Rangoon

More Facts

education: University Of Rangoon

awards: Jawaharlal Nehru Award for International Understanding

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1

What was U Thant's role in the Cuban Missile Crisis?

As the Secretary-General of the United Nations during the Cuban Missile Crisis in 1962, U Thant played a crucial role in facilitating communication between the United States and the Soviet Union to help defuse the situation and prevent a nuclear war.
2

How did U Thant contribute to the decolonization process?

U Thant actively supported decolonization efforts around the world during his tenure as Secretary-General, advocating for the independence of former colonies and territories and helping to promote self-determination.
3

What was U Thant's stance on the Vietnam War?

U Thant publicly expressed his opposition to the Vietnam War, calling for a peaceful resolution to the conflict and urging the involved parties to seek a diplomatic solution rather than military escalation.
4

How did U Thant address the issue of apartheid in South Africa?

U Thant was a vocal critic of apartheid in South Africa and used his position to condemn the discriminatory policies of the apartheid regime, calling for international pressure to end racial segregation and promote equality.
5

What role did U Thant play in the establishment of the Non-Aligned Movement?

U Thant actively supported the Non-Aligned Movement, a group of countries that did not align with either the Western bloc or the Eastern bloc during the Cold War, and helped promote cooperation among developing nations on issues of mutual interest.

Childhood & Early Life

U Thant was born on January 22, 1909, in Pantanaw, Burma, to Po Hnit and his wife Nan Thaung. Thant’s father, an educated man, was one of the individuals involved in the establishment of the Burmese Research Society as well as the newspaper ‘The Sun’. Thant had three younger siblings, all brothers.

He attended the National High School located in Pantanaw and was known to be a studious, thoughtful student who was nicknamed ‘The Philosopher’ by his class mates. When he was only 14 years old, his father passed away and the entire family had to endure financial difficulties during that time.

Considering the financial condition of his family at the time, he thought that he would not be able to afford to go for a fully fledged four year course at the university and hence he enrolled in Rangoon University for a teaching certificate course in 1926.

At University, Thant became friends with U Nu, who would go on to become the Prime Minister of the country. He completed his course after two years and returned to his Pantanaw and started teaching at National High School.

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Career

After teaching at the National High School for some time, U Thant appeared for the All Burma Teachership Examination in 1931 and came first. By the time he was 25, he became the headmaster of the school. During this period, he contributed to several periodicals as well as newspapers.

Following the occupation of Burma by Japan in 1942, he was appointed as the secretary of the educational reorganisation committee set up by the Japanese but he quit after a year following the move to make Japanese language a compulsory part of the curriculum. He went back to National High School and stayed as the headmaster for four years.

In 1947, he became a part of the government service in the capacity of a press director with the help of his friend U Nu and the following year, he was appointed as the director of broadcasting after Burma’s independence. Subsequently, he went on to become the Secretary at the Ministry of Information.

In 1951, Burmese Prime Minister U Nu appointed him as the secretary to the prime minister. He served in that position for six years and was the closest person to the prime minister, as he helped him formulate policies and also wrote his speeches. During this period Thant also attended global conferences.

In 1957, he was appointed as the Burma’s permanent representative to the United Nations and served in that capacity till 1961. During that time, he was actively engaged in the negotiations that took place for Algerian independence and also served as UN Congo Commission Chairman. In 1959, he was made the vice president of the UN General Assembly.

On 3 Nov 1961 he was appointed as the acting Secretary-General of the UN after the major members could not reach a conclusion following the death of then UN Secretary General Dag Hammarskjold.

On 30 November 1962, General Assembly unanimously appointed him secretary-general till November 3, 1966. During his first term, he facilitated mediation between the U.S. and the U.S.S.R to diffuse the Cuban Missile Crisis and also helped end the secessionist unrest that erupted in Congo.

On 2 December 1966 he was re-elected as the U.N. Secretary-General and his five year term saw him establish key UN programmes like the UN Development Programme, UN Environmental Programme as well as the UN University and the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development, among others.

His relation with the US deteriorated after he ordered UN troops in Sinai to be withdrawn following the request of President Nasser of Egypt. Additionally, his criticism of American policies in relation to the Vietnam War was a bone of contention.

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On 31 December 1971, he retired from his post of the U.N. Secretary-General and did not seek re-election for a third term. Subsequently, he joined the Adlai Stevenson Institute of International Affairs in the capacity of a senior fellow and spent his last days in Riverdale, Bronx.

Major Works

His most important work in his career as a diplomat was that of mediating between the US and Russia to diffuse the Cuban Missile Crisis of 1962. It helped avoid a nuclear war.

Awards & Achievements

U Thant was someone who did not like to accept awards; he refused to accept the Burma's second highest honor awarded to him by U Nu's government in 1961.

He accepted two awards in his life: the Jawaharlal Nehru Award for International Understanding in 1965 and the Gandhi Peace Prize in 1972.

Personal Life & Legacy

U Thant married Daw Thein Tin and the couple had three children; two sons named Maung Bo and Tin Maung Thant and a daughter named Aye Aye Thant. He also had one adopted son.

He died of lung cancer on November 25, 1974, in New York.

Facts About U Thant

U Thant was known for his love of gardening and often spent time tending to plants and flowers at his residence in New York City.

He had a deep appreciation for different cultures and languages, and was fluent in Burmese, English, French, and Russian.

U Thant was a skilled swimmer and enjoyed spending time in the water, finding it to be a peaceful and meditative activity.

Despite his busy schedule as Secretary-General of the United Nations, U Thant made time for daily meditation and reflection to maintain a sense of inner peace.

U Thant was a dedicated advocate for environmental conservation and sustainability, often speaking out on the importance of protecting the planet for future generations.

U Thant Biography

You wanted to know

What was U Thant's role in the Cuban Missile Crisis?

How did U Thant contribute to the decolonization process?

What was U Thant's stance on the Vietnam War?

How did U Thant address the issue of apartheid in South Africa?

What role did U Thant play in the establishment of the Non-Aligned Movement?