1961 u thant is unanimously appointed as the 3rd secretary genera 11 03
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1961 65 years ago Historical Events November 3 2 sources

U Thant is unanimously appointed as the 3rd Secretary-General of the United Nations, becoming the first non-European individual to occupy the post.

On November 3, in the year 1961, U Thant is unanimously appointed as the 3rd Secretary-General of the United Nations, becoming the first non-European individual to occupy the post. This event is recorded as a Historical Events event in the history of November 3, one of 451 recorded events on this date across all of history.

Thant, known honorifically as U Thant, was a Burmese diplomat and the third secretary-general of the United Nations from 1961 to 1971, the first Asian to hold the position. He held the office for a record 10 years and one month.

Key Facts

  • This event took place on November 3, 1961 (AD era).
  • It is categorised as a Historical Events event in recorded history.
  • Referenced in 2 Wikipedia articles.
  • Wikipedia source last updated on 24 October 2026.

On This Date in History 451

Type Year Date Event
Notable Deaths 2025 Nov 3 Dick Cheney, American businessman and politician, 46th Vice President of the United States (born 1941)
Notable Deaths 2025 Nov 3 Kim Yong-nam, North Korean politician (born 1928)
Notable Deaths 2024 Nov 3 Quincy Jones, American producer (born 1933)
Historical Events 2020 Nov 3 The 2020 United States presidential election takes place between Democratic Joe Biden and Republican incumbent…
Notable Deaths 2018 Nov 3 Sondra Locke, American actress and director (born 1944)
Notable Deaths 2016 Nov 3 Kay Starr, American singer (born 1922)
Notable Deaths 2015 Nov 3 Ahmed Chalabi, Iraqi businessman and politician (born 1944)
Historical Events 2014 Nov 3 One World Trade Center officially opens in New York City, replacing the Twin Towers after they were destroyed during…
Notable Deaths 2014 Nov 3 Gordon Tullock, American economist and academic (born 1922)
Notable Deaths 2014 Nov 3 Sadashiv Amrapurkar, Indian actor (born 1950)
Notable Deaths 2013 Nov 3 Gerard Cieślik, Polish footballer and manager (born 1927)
Notable Deaths 2012 Nov 3 Tommy Godwin, American-English cyclist and coach (born 1920)
Notable Deaths 2011 Nov 3 Peeter Kreitzberg, Estonian lawyer and politician (born 1948)
Notable Deaths 2010 Nov 3 Jerry Bock, American composer (born 1928)
Notable Deaths 2010 Nov 3 Viktor Chernomyrdin, Russian politician and diplomat, 30th Prime Minister of Russia (born 1938)
Notable Deaths 2009 Nov 3 Francisco Ayala, Spanish sociologist, author, and critic (born 1906)
Notable Deaths 2008 Nov 3 Jean Fournet, French conductor (born 1913)
Notable Deaths 2007 Nov 3 Aleksandr Dedyushko, Belarusian-Russian actor (born 1962)
Notable Deaths 2006 Nov 3 Paul Mauriat, French pianist, composer, and conductor (born 1925)
Notable Deaths 2006 Nov 3 Alberto Spencer, Ecuadorean footballer (born 1937)
Notable Births 2005 Nov 3 Fina Strazza, American actress
Notable Births 2005 Nov 3 Lara Raj, American singer
Notable Deaths 2004 Nov 3 Sergejs Žoltoks, Latvian ice hockey player (born 1972)
Notable Deaths 2003 Nov 3 Rasul Gamzatov, Russian poet and educator (born 1923)
Notable Deaths 2002 Nov 3 Lonnie Donegan, Scottish singer-songwriter and guitarist (born 1931)
Notable Deaths 2002 Nov 3 Jonathan Harris, American actor (born 1914)
Selected Events 2002 Nov 3 A CIA drone strike kills six militants in Yemen, constituting the first targeted killing of the war on terror.
Notable Births 2001 Nov 3 Hailey Baptiste, American tennis player
Notable Births 2001 Nov 3 Jake LaRavia, American basketball player
Notable Deaths 2001 Nov 3 Ernst Gombrich, Austrian-English historian and author (born 1909)
Notable Deaths 1999 Nov 3 Ian Bannen, Scottish actor (born 1928)
Notable Births 1998 Nov 3 Maddison Elliott, Australian paralympic swimmer
Notable Deaths 1998 Nov 3 Bob Kane, American author and illustrator, co-created Batman (born 1915)
Historical Events 1997 Nov 3 The United States imposes economic sanctions against Sudan in response to its human rights abuses of its own citizens…
Notable Births 1997 Nov 3 Izuchuckwu Anthony, Nigerian footballer
Notable Births 1997 Nov 3 Sarthak Golui, Indian footballer
Notable Births 1997 Nov 3 Takumi Kitamura, Japanese actor
Notable Births 1997 Nov 3 Lázaro Martínez, Cuban athlete
Notable Deaths 1997 Nov 3 Ronald Barnes, American carillon player and composer (born 1927)
Historical Events 1996 Nov 3 Abdullah Çatlı, the leader of the Turkish ultranationalist organization Grey Wolves, dies in the Susurluk car crash,…
Notable Deaths 1996 Nov 3 Jean-Bédel Bokassa, Central African general and politician, 2nd President of the Central African Republic (born 1921)
Selected Events 1996 Nov 3 Abdullah Çatlı, a leader of the ultra-nationalist Grey Wolves, was killed in a car crash near Susurluk, Turkey,…
Notable Births 1995 Nov 3 Matt Bushman, American football player
Notable Deaths 1995 Nov 3 Gordon S. Fahrni, Canadian physician (born 1887)
Historical Events 1994 Nov 3 Space Shuttle program: Atlantis launches on STS-66.
Notable Deaths 1994 Nov 3 Valter Palm, Estonian-American boxer (born 1905)
Notable Births 1993 Nov 3 Kenny Golladay, American football player
Notable Births 1993 Nov 3 Lee Min-hyuk, South Korean singer and MC
Notable Births 1993 Nov 3 Martina Trevisan, Italian tennis player
Notable Deaths 1993 Nov 3 Léon Theremin, Russian physicist and engineer, invented the Theremin (born 1895)

This article draws on content from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

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