Kofi Annan

1938 – 2018 · died at about 80^[1][2]

Politics & Leadership

Fun Facts About Kofi Annan

• Kofi Annan's name tells his birth story: in the Akan tradition Kofi means born on a Friday, Annan means fourth-born child, and his middle name Atta means twin, shared with his twin sister.^[1]
• Annan started at the UN in 1962 as a budget officer for the World Health Organization, and he became the first secretary-general elected from the UN staff itself.^[1]
• Annan's path to the top job was not smooth: France vetoed him four times in the Security Council before finally abstaining in 1996.^[1]
• Annan's second wife, the Swedish lawyer Nane Lagergren, was a half-niece of the diplomat Raoul Wallenberg.^[1]
• Annan gave his final speech as secretary-general at the Harry S. Truman Presidential Library, recalling Truman's leadership in founding the United Nations.^[1][3][4]
• Kofi Annan was alive at the same time as Sigmund Freud — their lives overlapped for 1 year (1938–1939).^[1][2][5][6]
• Kofi Annan and Honoré de Balzac died on the same day of the year, August 18.^[1][2][7][8]
• Kofi Annan lived to about 80, from 1938 until 2018.^[1][2]

Kofi Atta Annan was a Ghanaian diplomat and statesman who served as the seventh secretary-general of the United Nations from 1997 to 2006. Annan and the UN were the co-recipients of the 2001 Nobel Peace Prize. He was the founder and chairman of the Kofi Annan Foundation, as well as chairman of The Elders, an international organisation founded by Nelson Mandela.^[1]

Contemporaries

Stan Lee

80 yr overlap

James Watson

80 yr overlap

Noam Chomsky

80 yr overlap

Desmond Tutu

80 yr overlap

Toni Morrison

80 yr overlap

Wole Soyinka

80 yr overlap

Jane Goodall

80 yr overlap

Dalai Lama

80 yr overlap

Woody Allen

80 yr overlap

Pope Francis

80 yr overlap

Tu Youyou

80 yr overlap

Yoko Ono

80 yr overlap

Their World

Questions About Kofi Annan

When was Kofi Annan born?

Kofi Annan was born on April 8, 1938, and died on August 18, 2018.

How old was Kofi Annan at death?

Kofi Annan was born on April 8, 1938, and died on August 18, 2018, at age 80.

What was Kofi Annan known for?

Kofi Annan was known for: UN Secretary-General and Nobel Peace laureate. Kofi Atta Annan was a Ghanaian diplomat and statesman who served as the seventh secretary-general of the United Nations from 1997 to 2006. Annan and the UN were the co-recipients of the 2001 Nobel Peace Prize. He was the founder and chairman of the Kofi Annan Foundation, as well as chairman of The Elders, an international organisation founded by Nelson Mandela.

Who was alive at the same time as Kofi Annan?

Kofi Annan's closest contemporary was Stan Lee. Their lives overlapped for 80 years.