Dag Hjalmar Agne Carl Hammarskjöld

One of the most important historical figures in Sweden is Dag Hjalmar Agne Carl Hammarskjöld. He (July 29, 1905 – September 18, 1961) was a Swedish economist and diplomat who served as the United Nations' second Secretary-General from April 1953 until his death in a plane crash in September 1961. He is still the youngest individual to hold the position as of 2022, having been appointed at the age of 47.

During Hammarskjöld's presidency, he worked to improve the newly founded United Nations both inside and outside. He oversaw efforts aimed at improving morale and organizational efficiency, as well as making the UN more responsive to global challenges. He oversaw the establishment of the first United Nations peacekeeping forces in Egypt and the Congo, and he personally intervened to defuse or settle diplomatic crises. During the Congo Crisis, Hammarskjöld's second tenure was cut short when he died in a plane accident while en route to cease-fire negotiations.

Hammarskjöld was and continues to be regarded internationally as a skillful diplomat and administrator, and his efforts to address major global crises earned him the Nobel Peace Prize as the only posthumous recipient. Along with his successor, he is regarded as one of the two best UN secretaries-general, and his appointment has been praised as one of the organization's most remarkable triumphs. United States President John F. Kennedy referred to Hammarskjöld as "the greatest statesman of our century."