Established on Oct. 24, 1945, the United Nations is an intergovernmental organization designed to facilitate cooperation among nations. Headquartered in New York City, it comprises 193 member states and operates through six principal organs, including the General Assembly and the Security Council.
Hours of research by our editors, distilled into minutes of clarity.
One of the UN’s primary roles is peacekeeping—deploying personnel to conflict zones to maintain stability and protect civilians. The Better World Campaign’s page on UN peacekeeping offers a comprehensive overview of these missions, highlighting their global reach and the involvement of over 2 million personnel from 125 countries across 71 operations.
The World Health Organization, a UN agency founded in 1948, was first proposed at the 1945 UN Conference to coordinate global health efforts. This interactive timeline marks the WHO’s 75th anniversary with major public health milestones.
UNICEF, the United Nations Children's Fund, works globally to protect children's rights and well-being. Its 2024 report on child mortality reveals that under-five deaths have halved since 2000. The report includes interactive data visualizations that can be sorted by year or topic.
During a 100-day period in 1994, nearly 1 million Tutsi and moderate Hutu civilians were murdered, a tragedy that exemplified the limitations of the UN’s ability to protect populations from mass killing.
The UN Security Council veto is a power held by its five permanent members—China, France, Russia, the UK, and the US—allowing any one of them to block resolutions, regardless of international consensus. It has been used over 300 times since the UN’s founding.
A 2024 Pew Research Center survey found that a median of 58% across 35 countries viewed the UN favorably, while 31% held unfavorable views. Notably, younger adults tended to view the UN more positively than older generations. The report offers a detailed, country-by-country analysis of global perceptions of the UN.
This behind-the-scenes look at the 2015 UN General Assembly offers a unique perspective on what it takes to run one of the world’s most complicated and important diplomatic events. Following four staffers—including a youth advocate and an interpreter—the video captures the energy, pressure, and coordination behind the scenes.
The Yalta Conference was a pivotal 1945 meeting between Allied leaders that helped shape the postwar global order and laid the groundwork for the founding of the United Nations.
For generations, Trick-or-Treat for UNICEF has been one of the main ways American children are introduced to the work of the United Nations. The Halloween campaign encourages them to collect donations for children in need—instead of just candy.
This podcast episode of To the Best of My Ability from the National WWII Museum goes behind the scenes of the United Nations’ founding from the American perspective. It explores how FDR’s vision for global peace took shape, how Truman carried it forward, and how Eleanor Roosevelt helped define human rights—set against the backdrop of wartime diplomacy, Cold War tensions, and the San Francisco Charter conference.
Weave together the many narratives of world history with our highly curated and expanding selection of diverse, fascinating resources designed to showcase the breadth and richness of Earth's story, from the earliest traces of human civilization to the dramatic developments of contemporary cultures.