Short answers, pulled from the story.
The United Nations officially came into existence on the 24th of October 1945. This date marks when the UN Charter was ratified by the five permanent members of the Security Council and a majority of the other forty-six nations.
American President Franklin Roosevelt coined the term United Nations during World War II. He used the term on New Year's Day 1942 to describe the Allied countries fighting against the Axis powers.
The United Nations is composed of the General Assembly, the Security Council, the Economic and Social Council, the International Court of Justice, the UN Secretariat, and the Trusteeship Council. The Trusteeship Council suspended its operations on the 1st of November 1994 upon the independence of Palau.
The United Nations has carried out 71 peacekeeping operations since 1947. These operations involve over 88,000 peacekeeping personnel from 121 nations deployed on missions.
The financial crisis affecting United Nations funding began in 2025. On the 19th of May 2025, only 61 countries paid their dues on time and in full, causing massive budget cuts within the UN.
Portuguese diplomat António Guterres became the ninth secretary-general of the United Nations on the 1st of January 2017. He succeeded the previous secretary-general following the first public debate between candidates held in 2016.