Thant, U (1909-1974), Burmese statesman and United Nations secretary general. Born on January 22, 1909, in Pantanaw, Burma (now known as Myanmar), Thant was educated at the University of Rangoon(now known as the University of Yangon), after which he was senior master (1928-1931) and headmaster (1931-1947) of Pantanaw National High School. In 1947, after the Burmese constituent assembly voted for independence from Great Britain, Thant became press director of the interim government. Following the establishment (1948) of Burma's independence,he held the posts of director of broadcasting (1949), secretary in the ministry of information (1949-1953), and secretary to the prime minister (1953-1957). In 1952 he was also a member of the Burmese delegation to the United Nations; he became his country's permanent UN representative in 1957. Following the death of UN Secretary General Dag Hammarskjöld in 1961, Thant was elected to complete Hammarskjöld's term, and was reelected in 1966
