His strong performance earned him a Ford Foundation grant, leading him to the U.S. where he would complete his undergraduate studies. Annan then pursued graduate studies in Geneva and, years later, earned a Master of Science from the American-based MIT Sloan School of Management.

Annan’s first involvement with the UN was as a budget officer for the World Health Organization, an agency of the United Nations. He began this post in 1962, and later returned to Ghana from 1974 to 1976 to take over the position of director of tourism. Returning to the UN, he worked as an assistant secretary general in three different departments from 1987 to 1994. During his time with the Peacekeeping Operations department, he faced criticism from ex-general Romeo Dallaire who claimed that Kofi had not responded aggressively enough to the 1994 genocide crisis in Rwanda.

Despite any of Dallaire’s misgivings, Kofi was selected by the UN Security Council as the next secretary general in December of 1996, an honor he readily accepted. He holds the distinction of being the first person from a black African nation to ever hold the position, as well as the first secretary general to be chosen from the UN staff. Notable during his term, he issued a "call to action" to address the HIV/ADIS crisis, a personal and political cause for the African-born Annan. The Global AIDS and Health Fund was also proposed to increase spending for developing countries facing an AIDS pandemic.

In 2001, Annan and the UN were jointly awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for their humanitarian efforts. In 2002, the UN deviated from its usual policy of naming a representative from a different continent every two terms and renewed Kofi’s position as secretary general. It is a clear testament to his immense popularity and diplomatic abilities.

In 2003, he went against opposing pressures by stating that George Bush shouldn’t invade Iraq without UN approval, saying later in an interview that it was illegal from the point of view of the UN. His recent causes include supporting a UN peace mission to Darfur, Sudan, and promoting women’s rights in Arab and Muslim countries.

He retired at the end of 2006, and in a speech in September he said that many problems still have to be overcome, including the unfair distribution of wealth throughout the world, general disorder, and a lack of respect for human rights and the law. He also urged that attention be given to Africa and the Arab Israeli conflict.

Kofi’s first wife was the Nigerian Titi Alakija. Before their divorce during the 1970s, they had children Kojo and Ama. His current wife is Nane Maria Anna, a Swedish lawyer and artist who shares Kofi’s passion for AIDS causes and women’s rights. The couple resides together with Koji’s children and Nane’s daughter from a previous marriage.

He is succeeded as the secretary general of the United Nations by Korean born Ban Ki Moon.

YUDDY