Trygve Lie

Trygve Lie
Trygve Lie in 1938
1st Secretary-General of the United Nations
In office 2 February 1946 – 10 November 1952
Preceded by	Gladwyn Jebb (acting)
Succeeded by	Dag Hammarskjöld
Minister of Foreign Affairs
In office 19 November 1940 – 2 February 1946
Monarch	Haakon VII
Prime Minister	Johan Nygaardsvold Einar Gerhardsen
Preceded by	Halvdan Koht
Succeeded by	Halvard Lange
Personal details
Born	Trygve Halvdan Lie (1896-07-16)16 July 1896 Oslo, Norway, United Kingdoms of Sweden and Norway
Died	30 December 1968(1968-12-30) (aged 72) Geilo, Norway
Nationality	Norwegian
Political party	Norwegian Labour Party
Children	Sissel, Guri, Mette
Religion	Lutheran/Church of Norway
Signature

Trygve Halvdan Lie (Norwegian pronunciation: [ˌtɾyɡʋə ˈliː]  (listen); 16 July 1896 – 30 December 1968) was a Norwegian politician, labour leader, government official and author. He served as Norwegian Foreign minister during the critical years of the Norwegian government in exile in London from 1940 to 1945. From 1946 to 1952 he was the first Secretary-General of the United Nations. Lie earned a reputation as a pragmatic, determined politician.

Lie was born in Kristiania on 16 July 1896. His father, carpenter Martin Lie, left the family to emigrate to the United States in 1902, never to be heard from again. Trygve grew up under poor conditions together with his mother Hulda and a six-year-old sister. His mother ran a boarding house and café in Grorud in Oslo.

Lie joined the Labour Party in 1911 and was named as the party's national secretary soon after receiving his law degree from the University of Oslo in 1919. Lie was editor-in-chief for Det 20de Aarhundre ('The 20th Century') from 1919 to 1921. From 1922 to 1935 he was a legal consultant for the Workers' National Trade Union (named Norwegian Confederation of Trade Unions from 1957). He chaired the Norwegian Workers' Confederation of Sports from 1931 to 1935.