What year was the United Nations founded?

The United Nations was founded in 1945. Its founding document, the UN Charter, was signed in San Francisco on 26 June 1945 by representatives of 50 countries.

The organization formally came into existence on 24 October 1945, after the Charter was ratified by the required countries, including the five future permanent members of the Security Council: China, France, the Soviet Union, the United Kingdom, and the United States. That date is now celebrated as United Nations Day.

The UN was created during the final stages of World War II to help prevent another global conflict and replace the weaker League of Nations. A common mix-up is treating 26 June as the official start date; it is the signing date, while 24 October marks the Charter’s entry into force. The UN’s headquarters is in New York City, and it now has 193 member states.