On December 14, 1946, the United Nations ("UN") General Assembly voted to establish its headquarters in New York City.

After World War II, the UN was founded to replace the League of Nations and stop wars between countries. The UN was created for countries to engage in open dialogue about many issues including, international law and security, human rights, economic and social progress, and world peace.

The General Assembly, the main deliberating body of the UN composed of representatives from each member country, had to find a headquarters to meet. On this day, December 14, 1946, the UN General Assembly voted to establish its headquarters in New York City. And building the new headquarters began shortly thereafter.

The UN headquarters complex was designed by an international committee of architects, including the UN Board of Design. They eventually decided to build four buildings in the Turtle Bay neighborhood of Manhattan for the complex, including: (i) the Secretariat building, (ii) the General Assembly building, (iii) the Conference building and (iv) the Dag Hammarskjold Library. The largest of the four buildings is the Secretariat building, which is home to the UN's administration. It is 39 stories high and stands as a worldwide symbol of the UN. All the buildings were completed in 1952.

The UN also has three additional regional headquarters located in (i) Geneva, Switzerland, (ii) Vienna, Austria, and (iii) Nairobi, Kenya. These offices help to facilitate diplomatic activities worldwide. But only headquarters in New York holds the main bodies of the UN, including the General Assembly and Security Council.

Today, as of last count, there are currently 192 member states, which include nearly every sovereign country in the world.