Facts on 1 January
1997 - Kofi Annan of Ghana becomes the first Black Secretary-General of the United Nations.

Kofi Annan began his term as the seventh Secretary-General of the United Nations, making history as the first Black person and the first sub-Saharan African to hold the position. His leadership would later earn him the Nobel Peace Prize in 2001, shared with the UN for their work toward a better organized and more peaceful world.

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