A Brief History of the United Nations The term “United Nations” was first coined by President Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1942.  This occurred during World War II when 26 nations pledged to continue fighting against the Axis Powers.  This was called the “Declaration by United Nations.” The precurser to the United Nations was the League of Nations which was founded in a similar situation during World War I.  The League of Nations was established under the Treaty of Versailles in 1919 in order “to promote international cooperation and to achieve peace and security.”  The League of Nations was dissolved after failing to prevent World War II. In 1945, representatives of 50 countries met in San Francisco at the United Nations Conference on International Organization in order to draw up the United Nations Charter. A Charter was signed on 26 June 1945 by the representatives of the 50 countries. Poland, which was not represented at the Conference, signed it later and became one of the original 51 member states. The United Nations officially came into existence on October 24, 1945, when the Charter was ratified by China, France, the Soviet Union, the United Kingdom, the United States and a majority of other signatories.  United Nations Day is celebrated on October 24th each year. Source: Basic Facts - About the United Nations United Nations Publication Opening assignment:  Charter of the United Nations http://www.un.org/aboutun/charter/ Go to the above link and read the Preamble to the United Nations Charter.  Submit a statement that summarizes your understanding of the mission of the United Nations. Go to the following link:   http://www.un.org/depts/dhl/maplib/flag.html Explain the symbolism of the UN flag.