Historical Figure
Dag Hammarskjöld
1905–1961
UN Secretary-General from 1953 to 1961
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Biography
Dag Hjalmar Agne Carl Hammarskjöld was a Swedish economist and diplomat who served as the second secretary-general of the United Nations from April 1953 until his death in a plane crash in September 1961. As of 2026, he remains the youngest person to have held the post, having been only 47 years old when he was elected. He was a son of Hjalmar Hammarskjöld, who served as Prime Minister of Sweden from 1914 to 1917.
Timeline
The story of Dag Hammarskjöld, told in moments.
Elected Secretary-General of the United Nations at 47, the youngest person to hold the post. He was chosen as a compromise candidate. The Soviets thought he'd be weak. He wasn't.
Created the first UN peacekeeping force during the Suez Crisis. UNEF deployed to Egypt without a blueprint. The concept of "Blue Helmets" was essentially invented on the spot.
Personally negotiated the release of American prisoners during the Congo Crisis, flying into active conflict zones when career diplomats wouldn't.
Killed when his plane crashed near Ndola, Northern Rhodesia, while en route to ceasefire negotiations in the Congo. He was 56. Investigations over the next six decades have never definitively explained the crash. He was posthumously awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.
In Their Own Words (20)
The more faithfully you listen to the voices within you, the better you will hear what is sounding outside.
As quoted in Sacred Seasonings (2003) by Sherri Purdom, 2003
It is more noble to give yourself completely to one individual than to labor diligently for the salvation of the masses.
As quoted in Living in Grace : The Shift to Spiritual Perception (2002) by Beca Lewis, p. 158, 2002
Is life so wretched? Isn't it rather your hands which are too small, your vision which is muddled? You are the one who must grow up.
As quoted in Know Your Limits — Then Ignore Them (2000) by John Mason, 2000
If even dying is to be made a social function, then, grant me the favor of sneaking out on tiptoe without disturbing the party.
As quoted in As I Journey On : Meditations for Those Facing Death (2000) by Sharon Dardis and Cindy Rogers, 2000
Constant attention by a good nurse may be just as important as a major operation by a surgeon.
As quoted in news reports (18 March 1956) and Simpson's Contemporary Quotations (1988) by James Beasley Simpson, 1988
Artifacts (15)
The Poet and the Diplomat: The Correspondence of Dag Hammarskjöld and Alexis Leger
Affords an English-speaking audience rare access to the revealing correspondence between two Nobel prize winners. Marie-Noelle Little's expansive prologue to this book, sets the stage for situating...
doesn't want Marilyn to play rap beats. He wants Marilyn to play what he makes, ...
r Digital Nas said Manson was in the recording studio "every day" while the album was recorded, and explained that Ye "doesn't want Marilyn to play rap beats. He wants Marilyn to play what he makes,...
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