Birth of Dag Hammarskjöld

Dag Hammarskjöld was born on 29 July 1905 in Jönköping. A Swedish diplomat and economist, Hammarskjold served as the second Secretary-General of the United Nations, from 1953 until his death. He expanded the role of the post, using quiet diplomacy to negotiate the release of American airmen held in China and developing the concept of peacekeeping forces, notably during the Suez Crisis. His efforts to resolve the Congo Crisis led to his death in a plane crash in Northern Rhodesia, which has been the subject of repeated investigations and speculation. He was posthumously awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1961, and his spiritual diary, Markings, was published after his death.

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