Dag Hammarskjöld
| Dag Hammarskjöld | |
|---|---|
Dag Hammarskjöld in 1959
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| 2nd Secretary-General of the United Nations | |
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In office 10 April 1953 – 18 September 1961 |
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| Preceded by | Trygve Lie |
| Succeeded by | U Thant |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Dag Hjalmar Agne Carl Hammarskjöld 29 July 1905 Jönköping, United Kingdoms of Sweden and Norway (now Jönköping, Sweden) |
| Died | 18 September 1961 (aged 56) Ndola, Rhodesia and Nyasaland (now Ndola, Zambia) |
| Nationality | Swedish |
| Alma mater |
Uppsala University |
| Religion | Lutheran/Church of Sweden |
| Signature |  |
Dag Hjalmar Agne Carl Hammarskjöld (Swedish: [dɑːɡ ²hamarˌɧœld]; 29 July 1905 – 18 September 1961) was a Swedish diplomat, economist, and author, who served as the second Secretary-General of the United Nations, from April 1953 until his death in a plane crash in September 1961. At the age of 56 years and 255 days, Hammarskjöld was the youngest to have held the post. Additionally, he is one of only four people to be awarded a posthumous Nobel Prize and was the only United Nations Secretary-General to die while in office. He was killed in a Douglas DC-6 airplane crash en route to cease-fire negotiations. Hammarskjöld has been referred to as one of the two best secretaries-general, and his appointment has been mentioned as the most notable success for the UN.US president John F. Kennedy called Hammarskjöld "the greatest statesman of our century."
Dag Hammarskjöld was born in Jönköping to the noble family Hammarskjöld (alternatively spelt Hammarskiöld or Hammarsköld). His family was ennobled in 1610 due to deeds of the warrior Peder Mikaelsson (after 1610) Hammarskiöld (approximately 1560 - 12 April 1646), an officer in the cavalry who fought for both sides in the War against Sigismund, where he took the name Hammarskiöld at his ennobling. Dag Hammarskjöd spent most of his childhood in Uppsala. His home there, which he considered his childhood home, was Uppsala Castle. The fourth and youngest son of Hjalmar Hammarskjöld, Prime Minister of Sweden from 1914 to 1917, and Agnes Hammarskjöld (née Almquist), Hammarskjöld's ancestors had served the Monarchy of Sweden since the 17th century.
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