This Day in History: <br />The United Nations Is Born October 24, 1945 An idea formulated in response to <br />the conflict during World War II, <br />the U.N. became a reality just months <br />after the war's conclusion. The U.N. Declaration was drafted by <br />the U.S., Great Britain and the former <br />Soviet Union. By 1942, it had been <br />signed by 26 nations. The U.N. Charter was presided over by <br />Franklin Roosevelt, Winston Churchill <br />and Joseph Stalin. The aims of the organization included maintaining <br />treaties "to reaffirm faith in fundamental human <br />rights," "to save succeeding generations from <br />the scourge of war" and "to promote social progress." Peace became the primary focus <br />of the early U.N. With Cold War <br />tensions just on the horizon, this <br />proved to be a complicated endeavor. Today, the United Nations <br />is comprised of 193 nations.
