U Thant

The only Southeast Asian national so far who took the office of UN Secretary General for two consecutive terms (1961-1971). He was a school teacher at his hometown, Pantanaw before moving to Yangon recruited by Aung San to be head of goverment agency in the capital. Upon the death of former Secretary General Dag Hammarskjold, he was appointed as acting secretary but later he was elected permanently for the position.