Dag Hjalmar Agne Carl Hammarskjöld was born on 29 July 1905 in Jönköping, Sweden. He was the son of Hjalmar Hammarskjöld, a former Prime Minister of Sweden. Dag grew up in Uppsala, where he studied many subjects. At Uppsala University, he studied literature, philosophy, politics, and economics. He finished his degrees quickly and became a professor of economics.
In the 1930s, Dag began working for the Swedish government. He helped with important financial and economic policies during and after World War II. He also worked in international trade negotiations. Later, he joined the Foreign Office and became Deputy Foreign Minister, dealing with many world issues.
Dag Hammarskjöld became Secretary-General of the United Nations in 1953. He was chosen again in 1957 for a second term. As UN leader, he worked hard to keep peace in the world. He helped solve conflicts in the Middle East, created the United Nations Emergency Force after the Suez Crisis, and sent peacekeepers to Lebanon and Jordan. In 1955, he helped free 15 American soldiers from China.
He also visited many countries in Africa, Asia, and other parts of the world to understand global problems. When war broke out in the Congo in 1960, he organized UN peacekeeping forces and traveled there several times.
On 18 September 1961, while flying on a peace mission to the Congo, Dag Hammarskjöld died in a plane crash. He was only 56 years old.
Dag Hammarskjöld is remembered as one of the greatest leaders of the United Nations. He worked for peace, cooperation, and justice around the world.
-Peace News Desk