74 Years Ago Today, The United Nations Was Formed

On October 24th, 1945 The United Nations was born and changed the way the world existed forever. The idea formulated in response to the conflict during the Second World War as a means of better arbitrating international conflict and negotiating peace.

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The U.N. Declaration was drafted by the United States, Great Britain, and the former Soviet Union. By 1942, it had been signed by a total of 26 nations around the world.

The U.N. Charter was first formulated at the San Francisco Conference in April of 1945. It was presided over by President Franklin Roosevelt, British Prime Minister Winston Churchill, and Societ Premier Joseph Stalin. It was attended by 50 nations from all over the world.

he conference helped to put together a structure for a new international organization that was to save succeeding generations from the scourge of war,…to reaffirm faith in fundamental human rights,…to establish conditions under which justice and respect for the obligations arising from treaties and other sources of international law can be maintained, and to promote social progress and better standards of life in larger freedom."

The primary focus of the earlier U.N. was peace now that the war was over, which proved difficult with Cold War tensions already on the horizon. The new U.N. Security Council was made up of the United States, Britain, France, the Soviet Union, and China who would each have veto power over the other.

Today, the United Nations is made up of 193 nations worldwide.