As the United Nations turns 80, some key moments in its history

UNITED NATIONS (AP) — There have been many memorable moments in the 80-year history of the United Nations, both at its headquarters in New York and at its far-flung global operations.

Here are photos of some of the U.N.'s history-making events as the world body marks the anniversary of its founding on June 26, 1945, when the U.N. Charter was signed by 50 countries in San Francisco.

Most of these moments made headlines — but for very different reasons.

Delegates from 50 countries met in San Francisco in the ashes of World War II to establish an international organization to prevent a repetition of such a conflict and promote global peace. The U.N. Charter remains the bedrock of the United Nations, which now has 193 member countries.

The charter's opening words express determination “to save succeeding generations from the scourge of war.”

North Korean forces invaded South Korea on June 25, 1950. Twelve days later, the U.N. Security Council adopted a resolution authorizing the United States to establish and lead military forces to repel the attack and restore peace on the Korean Peninsula.

The U.N. Command was the world’s first attempt at collective security under the new United Nations. It still operates because there is an armistice — but still no peace treaty — between North Korea and South Korea.

It was the height of the Cold War and the leader of the Soviet Union, Nikita Khrushchev, went to the annual gathering of world leaders at the U.N. General Assembly and listened in growing annoyance to criticism of the Communist bloc.

In one intervention, in which he repeatedly banged his fist on the podium in the assembly hall, he declared: “You will not be able to smother the voice of the peoples.”

Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat was invited to speak at the United Nations even though the territories were not a U.N. member nation.

Arafat told diplomats in the General Assembly chamber, “Today, I have come bearing an olive branch and a freedom fighter’s gun. Do not let the olive branch fall from my hand.”

The bombing of U.N. headquarters in the Canal Hotel in Baghdad was the deadliest terrorist attack against U.N. staff in its history and killed many team members as well as Sergio Vieira de Mello, a rising star who was U.N. human rights chief and temporarily headed its Iraq operations.

U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres said on the 20th anniversary of the tragedy that it “marked a change in the way humanitarians operate.”

Moammar Gadhafi, the autocratic ruler of oil rich Libya, ripped up the document in his only address to the U.N. General Assembly’s annual gathering of world leaders — a rambling 90-minute speech that went way beyond his allotted 15 minutes.

He said he did not recognize the authority of the U.N. Charter. Then-British Prime Minister Gordon Brown retorted in his speech later: “I stand here to reaffirm the United Nations Charter, not to tear it up.”

A magnitude 7.0 earthquake that hit Haiti on Jan. 12, 2010, killed 102 U.N. staff members, including the head of the U.N. peacekeeping mission in Haiti and his deputy when the building housing their offices was destroyed.

Then-U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon visited the scene in Port-au-Prince days afterward.

The U.N. called it “one of the darkest days" in its history. Haiti’s government put the death toll at 316,000, while some estimates were lower.

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad criticized Americans who threatened to burn the Muslim holy book, saying, “The truth cannot be burned.” He then held up the Quran and the Bible and said he respected both of them.

The United States and about 30 other countries walked out during Ahmadinejad’s speech after he falsely claimed the U.S. masterminded the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, which killed nearly 3,000 people.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu held up a large, cartoonish diagram of a bomb divided into sections, saying the section marked 70% was where Iran was on its way to enriching uranium for a nuclear weapon.

He urged the world to draw a clear “red line” under the other section marked 90% and to stop Iran’s nuclear program, asserting that the country would be that far along by the following year.

Follow the AP's coverage of the United Nations at https://apnews.com/hub/united-nations.

FILE - Iran's President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, President of Iran, holds up a copies of the Quran, left, and Bible, right, as he addresses the 65th session of the United Nations General Assembly at U.N. headquarters, Sept. 23, 2010, during a speech where he prompted walkouts from the assembly when he questioned whether the Sept. 11 attacks were staged. (AP Photo/Richard Drew, File)

FILE - Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev pounds his desk with his fist at the United Nations, Oct. 12, 1960, during angry debate, as his wrist watch is on the desk in front of him. (AP Photo, File)

FILE - Residents from Pyongyang, North Korea, and refugees from other areas crawl over shattered girders of the city's bridge Dec. 4, 1950, as they flee south across the Taedong River to escape the advance of Chinese Communist troops. (AP Photo/Max Desfor, File)

FILE - Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu shows an illustration as he describes his concerns over Iran's nuclear ambitions during his address to the 67th session of the United Nations General Assembly at U.N. headquarters, Sept. 27, 2012. (AP Photo/Richard Drew, File)

FILE - U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon , center, visits the collapsed UN headquarters during his visit to Port-au-Prince, Jan. 17, 2010. (AP Photo/Francois Mori, File)

FILE - Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi shows a torn copy of the UN Charter during his address to the 64th session of the United Nations General Assembly, Sept. 23, 2009. (AP Photo/Richard Drew, File)

FILE - U.S. military vehicles pass the collapsed section of the United Nations headquarters Saturday, Aug. 23, 2003, in Baghdad, Iraq. (AP Photo/Manish Swarup, File)

FILE - U.S. administrator in Iraq Paul Bremer, fourth left, along with UN and Iraqi officials pays last respects before Sergio Vieira de Mello's coffin, draped in a UN flag is loaded on a Brazilian presidential plane at Baghdad international airport, in Baghdad, Iraq, Aug. 22, 2003. Vieira de Mello, the top U.N. official in Iraq, was killed in a suicide truck bombing attack on U.N. headquarters that killed at least 22 other people and left more than 100 injured. (AP Photo/Manish Swarup, File)

FILE - A holster protrudes from under Yasser Arafat's jacket as he clasps his hands over his head during his appearance before the United Nations General Assembly at the U.N. headquarters, Nov. 13, 1974. (AP Photo, File)

FILE - President Harry S. Truman and the entire American delegation watch as Sen. Tom Connally signs the United Nations Charter in San Francisco, June 26, 1945. Standing, from left, after Truman are Secretary of State Edward Stettinius Jr.; Harold Edward Stassen; unidentified; Dean Virginia Gildersleeve; Rep. Charles A. Eaton; Rep. Sol Bloom, and Sen. Arthur Vandenberg. (AP Photo, File)

FILE - United Nations Conference delegates unanimously adopt the United Nations Charter in San Francisco, June 26, 1945. (AP Photo, File)

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — Shai Gilgeous-Alexander isn't scoring the way he usually does, but the Oklahoma City Thunder are still winning the way they normally do.

Gilgeous-Alexander, the reigning NBA MVP, averaged 31.1 points during the regular season. In the Western Conference semifinals against the Los Angeles Lakers, he is averaging 20 points and taking only 14 shots per game.

Oklahoma City has still won the first two games by an average of 18 points. Gilgeous-Alexander and Chet Holmgren each scored 22 points, and the defending champion Thunder beat the Lakers 125-107 on Thursday night.

Ajay Mitchell, starting in place of injured Jalen Williams, is averaging 19 points on 50% shooting in the series for Oklahoma City.

“I think the coaching staff does a good job at just getting all of us ready,” said Mitchell, a second-year guard. "And we have a lot of competitors. Like, everyone’s a competitor on our team. So every time the lights are bright, everyone’s ready to go.”

Holmgren is the leading scorer for the Thunder in the best-of-seven series with 23 points per game. The 2026 All-Star also is averaging 10.5 rebounds and 2.5 blocks.

Jared McCain, a midseason acquisition from the Philadelphia 76ers, barely played in the first round against Phoenix but has averaged 15 points and made 8 of 10 3-pointers in the series.

“He goes in there, stays in character, stays aggressive," Thunder coach Mark Daigneault said. "He’s going to shoot the next shot. He makes the right plays, plays inside the team. He competes defensively, has had good defensive possessions for us. And he was huge tonight. You need that in a playoff series.”

The Lakers again were without scoring champion Luka Doncic, who is out indefinitely with a strained left hamstring. They also were missing forward Jarred Vanderbilt, the reserve forward who dislocated the pinkie on his right hand during the second quarter of Game 1. The Lakers had three players finish with five fouls, limiting their aggressiveness late in the game.

Los Angeles guard Austin Reaves, who struggled with his shot in Game 1, scored 31 points on 10-for-16 shooting in Game 2. LeBron James, coming off a 27-point effort in Game 1, followed that up with 23.

With the Lakers up 63-61 early in the third quarter, Gilgeous-Alexander got tied up with Reaves and was called for his fourth foul. Upon review, it was upgraded to a flagrant 1 for Gilgeous-Alexander's follow through. Oklahoma City's Alex Caruso was called for a technical foul as the situation was being sorted out.

Gilgeous-Alexander left the game with the Lakers up 65-61, but the Thunder rallied and took control without him. On a fast break, Holmgren found a trailing Jaylin Williams, who hit a 3-pointer and was fouled. His free throw put the Thunder up 85-74.

The Thunder outscored the Lakers 32-15 while Gilgeous-Alexander was out in the third quarter to take a 93-80 lead into the fourth.

“It was amazing," Gilgeous-Alexander said. “They strung together stops, they’re playing the right way offensively and things are going their way. Full confidence in those guys. They know how to win basketball games. And we've proven that. They’ve proven that no matter who’s on the floor, they know how to get the job done. And they just did it again tonight."

The Lakers cut Oklahoma City's lead to five in the fourth quarter before the Thunder pulled away again.

Los Angeles will host Game 3 on Saturday.

“We just stuck with it,” Holmgren said. “It’s the game of basketball. It’s not always going to go your way. It’s about how you respond. And this team has proven many times that we know how to respond. And we did so tonight.”

This story has been corrected to show that Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is averaging 20, not 19, points per game against the Lakers.

AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/NBA

Oklahoma City Thunder's Chet Holmgren (7) shoots over Los Angeles Lakers' Austin Reaves (15) in the second half of Game 2 in a second-round NBA basketball playoffs series Thursday, May 7, 2026, in Oklahoma City. (AP Photo/Nate Billings)

Oklahoma City Thunder guard Ajay Mitchell, front, works for a shot as Los Angeles Lakers' Austin Reaves, rear, defends in the second half of Game 2 in a second-round NBA basketball playoffs series Thursday, May 7, 2026, in Oklahoma City. (AP Photo/Nate Billings)

Los Angeles Lakers' LeBron James stands on the court in the second half of Game 2 in a second-round NBA basketball playoffs series against the Oklahoma City Thunder Thursday, May 7, 2026, in Oklahoma City. (AP Photo/Nate Billings)

Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (2) drives to the basket past Los Angeles Lakers' Deandre Ayton (5) and LeBron James, rear, in the second half of Game 2 in a second-round NBA basketball playoffs series Thursday, May 7, 2026, in Oklahoma City. (AP Photo/Nate Billings)

Oklahoma City Thunder center Chet Holmgren (7) works to the basket against Los Angeles Lakers forward Rui Hachimura (28) in the second half of Game 2 in a second-round NBA basketball playoffs series Thursday, May 7, 2026, in Oklahoma City. (AP Photo/Nate Billings)