<Table> <Tr> <Th> No </Th> <Th> Portrait </Th> <Th> Secretary - General ( Born -- Died ) </Th> <Th> Dates in office </Th> <Th> Country of origin </Th> <Th> UN Regional Group </Th> <Th> Reason of withdrawal </Th> <Th> Ref . </Th> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> -- </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> Gladwyn Jebb ( 1900 -- 1996 ) </Td> <Td> 24 October 1945 -- 1 February 1946 </Td> <Td> United Kingdom </Td> <Td> Western European & Others </Td> <Td> Served as Acting Secretary - General until Lie 's election . </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td colspan="6"> After World War II , he served as Executive Secretary of the Preparatory Commission of the United Nations in August 1945 , being appointed Acting United Nations Secretary - General from October 1945 to February 1946 until the appointment of the first Secretary - General , Trygve Lie . </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> Trygve Lie ( 1896 -- 1968 ) </Td> <Td> 2 February 1946 -- 10 November 1952 </Td> <Td> Norway </Td> <Td> Western European & Others </Td> <Td> Resigned . </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td colspan="6"> Lie , a foreign minister and former labour leader , was recommended by the Soviet Union to fill the post . After the UN involvement in the Korean War , the Soviet Union vetoed Lie 's reappointment in 1951 . The United States circumvented the Soviet Union 's veto and recommended reappointment directly to the General Assembly . Lie was reappointed by a vote of 46 to 5 , with eight abstentions . The Soviet Union remained hostile to Lie , and he resigned in 1952 . </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> Dag Hammarskjöld ( 1905 -- 1961 ) </Td> <Td> 10 April 1953 -- 18 September 1961 </Td> <Td> Sweden </Td> <Td> Western European & Others </Td> <Td> Died in a plane crash in Northern Rhodesia ( now Zambia ) , while on a peacekeeping mission to the Congo . </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td colspan="6"> After a series of candidates were vetoed , Hammarskjöld emerged as an option that was acceptable to the Security Council . He was re-elected unanimously to a second term in 1957 . The Soviet Union was angered by Hammarskjöld 's leadership of the UN during the Congo Crisis , and suggested that the position of Secretary - General be replaced by a troika , or three - man executive . Facing great opposition from the Western nations , the Soviet Union gave up on its suggestion . Hammarskjöld was killed in a plane crash in Northern Rhodesia ( now Zambia ) in 1961 . U.S. President John F. Kennedy called Hammarskjöld `` the greatest statesman of our century '' . </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> U Thant ( 1909 -- 1974 ) </Td> <Td> 30 November 1961 -- 31 December 1971 </Td> <Td> Burma </Td> <Td> Asia - Pacific </Td> <Td> Declined to stand for a third election . </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td colspan="6"> In the process of replacing Hammarskjöld , the developing world insisted on a non-European and non-American Secretary - General . U Thant was nominated . However , due to opposition from the French ( Thant had chaired a committee on Algerian independence ) and the Arabs ( Burma supported Israel ) , Thant was only appointed for the remainder of Hammarskjöld 's term . He was the first Asian Secretary - General . The following year , on 30 November , Thant was unanimously re-elected to a new term ending on 3 November 1966 . He was re-elected on 2 December 1966 , finally for a full 5 - year term , ending on 31 December 1971 . Thant did not seek a third election . </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> Kurt Waldheim ( 1918 -- 2007 ) </Td> <Td> 1 January 1972 -- 31 December 1981 </Td> <Td> Austria </Td> <Td> Western European & Others </Td> <Td> China vetoed his third term . </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td colspan="6"> Waldheim launched a discreet but effective campaign to become the Secretary - General . Despite initial vetoes from China and the United Kingdom , in the third round , Waldheim was selected to become the new Secretary - General . In 1976 , China initially blocked Waldheim 's re-election , but it relented on the second ballot . In 1981 , Waldheim 's re-election for a third term was blocked by China , which vetoed his selection through 15 rounds . From 1986 to 1992 , Waldheim served as President of Austria , making him the first former Secretary - General to rise to the position of head of state . In 1985 , it was revealed
<Table> <Tr> <Th> No </Th> <Th> Portrait </Th> <Th> Secretary - General ( Born -- Died ) </Th> <Th> Dates in office </Th> <Th> Country of origin </Th> <Th> UN Regional Group </Th> <Th> Reason of withdrawal </Th> <Th> Ref . </Th> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> -- </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> Gladwyn Jebb ( 1900 -- 1996 ) </Td> <Td> 24 October 1945 -- 1 February 1946 </Td> <Td> United Kingdom </Td> <Td> Western European & Others </Td> <Td> Served as Acting Secretary - General until Lie 's election . </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td colspan="6"> After World War II , he served as Executive Secretary of the Preparatory Commission of the United Nations in August 1945 , being appointed Acting United Nations Secretary - General from October 1945 to February 1946 until the appointment of the first Secretary - General , Trygve Lie . </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> Trygve Lie ( 1896 -- 1968 ) </Td> <Td> 2 February 1946 -- 10 November 1952 </Td> <Td> Norway </Td> <Td> Western European & Others </Td> <Td> Resigned . </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td colspan="6"> Lie , a foreign minister and former labour leader , was recommended by the Soviet Union to fill the post . After the UN involvement in the Korean War , the Soviet Union vetoed Lie 's reappointment in 1951 . The United States circumvented the Soviet Union 's veto and recommended reappointment directly to the General Assembly . Lie was reappointed by a vote of 46 to 5 , with eight abstentions . The Soviet Union remained hostile to Lie , and he resigned in 1952 . </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> Dag Hammarskjöld ( 1905 -- 1961 ) </Td> <Td> 10 April 1953 -- 18 September 1961 </Td> <Td> Sweden </Td> <Td> Western European & Others </Td> <Td> Died in a plane crash in Northern Rhodesia ( now Zambia ) , while on a peacekeeping mission to the Congo . </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td colspan="6"> After a series of candidates were vetoed , Hammarskjöld emerged as an option that was acceptable to the Security Council . He was re-elected unanimously to a second term in 1957 . The Soviet Union was angered by Hammarskjöld 's leadership of the UN during the Congo Crisis , and suggested that the position of Secretary - General be replaced by a troika , or three - man executive . Facing great opposition from the Western nations , the Soviet Union gave up on its suggestion . Hammarskjöld was killed in a plane crash in Northern Rhodesia ( now Zambia ) in 1961 . U.S. President John F. Kennedy called Hammarskjöld `` the greatest statesman of our century '' . </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> U Thant ( 1909 -- 1974 ) </Td> <Td> 30 November 1961 -- 31 December 1971 </Td> <Td> Burma </Td> <Td> Asia - Pacific </Td> <Td> Declined to stand for a third election . </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td colspan="6"> In the process of replacing Hammarskjöld , the developing world insisted on a non-European and non-American Secretary - General . U Thant was nominated . However , due to opposition from the French ( Thant had chaired a committee on Algerian independence ) and the Arabs ( Burma supported Israel ) , Thant was only appointed for the remainder of Hammarskjöld 's term . He was the first Asian Secretary - General . The following year , on 30 November , Thant was unanimously re-elected to a new term ending on 3 November 1966 . He was re-elected on 2 December 1966 , finally for a full 5 - year term , ending on 31 December 1971 . Thant did not seek a third election . </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> Kurt Waldheim ( 1918 -- 2007 ) </Td> <Td> 1 January 1972 -- 31 December 1981 </Td> <Td> Austria </Td> <Td> Western European & Others </Td> <Td> China vetoed his third term . </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td colspan="6"> Waldheim launched a discreet but effective campaign to become the Secretary - General . Despite initial vetoes from China and the United Kingdom , in the third round , Waldheim was selected to become the new Secretary - General . In 1976 , China initially blocked Waldheim 's re-election , but it relented on the second ballot . In 1981 , Waldheim 's re-election for a third term was blocked by China , which vetoed his selection through 15 rounds . From 1986 to 1992 , Waldheim served as President of Austria , making him the first former Secretary - General to rise to the position of head of state . In 1985 , it was revealed
who was the secretary general of the united nations
who was the secretary general of the united nations
Gladwyn Jebb Trygve Lie Dag Hammarskjöld U Thant Kurt Waldheim
Gladwyn Jebb Trygve Lie Dag Hammarskjöld U Thant Kurt Waldheim Javier Pérez de Cuéllar Boutros Boutros - Ghali Kofi Annan Ban Ki - moon