event_note History Timeline
24 October 1948
United Nations Day
October 24 is United Nations Day, which marks the day in 1945 when the UN Charter first came into force (after ratification by all the five big powers: China, France, United Kingdom, United States, and Soviet Union). Burma became independent a little more than two years later.
The letter pictured here is from ICS U So Nyun (then ambassador in Washington) formally applying to United Nations Secretary General Trygvie Lie for Burma's membership to the United Nations. From 1948-62, Burma would be a very active member of the UN and even contributed troops to UN peacekeeping operations. This photograph shows Burmese officers who were part of the UN peacekeeping mission in the Congo in 1960.