Born on this day- July 29th,1905, the considerably closeted Swede- Dag Hammarskjöld was a real Renaissance man: a world class expert of economics, linguistics, literature, & history; an athlete in gymnastics, skiing, & mountaineering; & a bit of a theologian. Hammarskjöld has been credited with having coined the term "planned economy." Receiving 57 votes out of 60, Hammarskjöld was elected Secretary-General of the United Nations in 1953 for a 5 term & was reelected in 1957, greatly extending the influence of the United Nations as well as the prestige of the Secretary-General. He was posthumously awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1961.
Despite holding a position of public prominence as Secretary-General of the United Nations from 1953 until his death in 1961, Hammarskjöld managed to keep secret even the most minor details of his personal life from the world. His published journal- Markings (translated to English by openly gay- W.H. Auden), stays away from any mention of his private life. Hammarskjöld was unable to accept his sexuality & lived an unhappy, frustrated life, suffering slurs from political figures & the international media. But though he couldn’t resolve his own internal conflicts, he was masterful at settling external conflicts as he worked to solve disputes in Palestine, Vietnam, Egypt, & the Congo.
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