Esther Coopersmith (1930–2024), diplomat and host to powerful people 

Esther Coopersmith was an unofficial Washington D.C. diplomat who for more than 70 years organized events for political power players all across the world.

Nafis Sadik (1929–2022), first woman to lead a United Nations agency

Nafis Sadik was a champion of international women’s rights and the first woman to lead a United Nations agency.

Madeleine Albright (1937–2022), first female secretary of state

Madeleine Albright was the first female secretary of state in U.S. history.

Javier Pérez de Cuéllar (1920–2020), former secretary-general of the United Nations

Javier Pérez de Cuéllar served as secretary-general of the United Nations for two terms, from 1982 to 1991. During that time, he mediated disputes such as the Falklands War between the United Kingdom and Argentina as well as conflicts in Central America. The end of his term saw the collapse of the Soviet Union, the independence of Namibia in Africa, and a cease-fire in Western Sahara.

Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302 Crash Victims (2019)

157 people were killed Sunday morning when an Ethiopian Airlines Boeing 737 crashed just six minutes after takeoff. There were no survivors.

Kofi Annan (1938–2018), former UN Secretary-General

Nobel Peace Prize winner andfirst black African Secretary-General of the United Nations.

Babatunde Osotimehin (1949 - 2017), United Nations Population Fund director

U.N. Population Fund director fought for girls’, women’s rights...

E.R. Braithwaite (1912 - 2016), To Sir, With Love author

E.R. Braithwaite wrote the autobiographical novel "To Sir, With Love," drawing on his experiences as a teacher in London's East End during the 1950s.

Boutros Boutros-Ghali (1922 - 2016), former secretary-general of the United Nations

Boutros Boutros-Ghali, the Egyptian scholar, statesman and former secretary-general of the United Nations, died Tuesday, Feb. 16. He was 93. Boutros-Ghali became the sixth secretary-general of the United Nations Jan. 1, 1992. Despite the end of the Cold War, his term was fraught with international crises, including the breakup of Yugoslavia, genocide in Rwanda and several other civil wars in Africa. He initiated several reform efforts at the U.N. and broadened peacekeeping missions around the world.

Maurice Strong (1929 - 2015), first U.N. Environment Program chief

Canadian environmentalist and businessman Maurice Strong, who served as the first United Nations Environment Program chief and whose work led to the upcoming World Climate Summit in Paris, has died, according to The Associated Press. He was 86.

Comrade J and the Cold War that Never Ended

When 10 alleged Russian spies were recently arrested before being deported in a spy swap arranged by the CIA, many found the events anachronistic, a throwback to a previous era. One person who would not have been surprised was Sergei Tretyakov.

Pearl Bailey Riffs and Laughs

Pearl Bailey was so much more than an actress and singer.

Jiddu Krishnamurti: The Guru Who Wasn’t

Though he refused to consider himself any kind of religious authority, Jiddu Krishnamuriti became one of the 20th century’s leading spiritual philosophers.