Today in Comics History, January 22: Happy birthday, U Thant!

Born on this day in 1909: Thant, Burmese diplomat and the third Secretary-General of the United Nations, from 1961 to 1971. (The "U" is an honorific.)

And when there's something weird in your neighborhood Red China, who's U (Thant) gonna call? Herbie!



from "Sahib Herbie!" in Herbie #5 (ACG, October 1954), script by Richard Hughes (as Shane O'Shea), pencils and inks by Ogden Whitney, letters by Ed Hamilton
Not a Lot of People Know This Dept.: Since 1977, U Thant has been commemorated with the (unofficial) naming of a tiny island in New York City's East River: U Thant Island. You can see it especially well if you take the 42nd Street exit off the northbound FDR Drive: it'll be immediately to your right across from the UN Building.


Thant isn't using it much anymore so I have (very unofficially) claimed it as Bully Island. In the summer I paddle out there in my little coracle, have a picnic lunch, read comic books in the sun, and fiddle with my ham radio set — you can easily see the antenna in the photo above. It runs on real ham!

Happy birthday, U Thant!