# UNV437 - 2009 1,15 UNV 100th Anniversary U Thant
The U.N. issued three 2009 stamps in honor of the 100th anniversary of the birth of U Thant. Thant served as the third Secretary-General of the United Nations from 1961 to 1971. Thant was born in Myanmar (formerly Burma) and replaced previous Secretary-General Dag Hammarskjöld. Among the high points of his term were helping defuse the Cuban Missile Crisis and ending the civil war in Congo. Thant avoided serious disputes between his office and the world’s major national powers during his time in office.
The U.N. issued three 2009 stamps in honor of the 100th anniversary of the birth of U Thant. Thant served as the third Secretary-General of the United Nations from 1961 to 1971. Thant was born in Myanmar (formerly Burma) and replaced previous Secretary-General Dag Hammarskjöld. Among the high points of his term were helping defuse the Cuban Missile Crisis and ending the civil war in Congo. Thant avoided serious disputes between his office and the world’s major national powers during his time in office.