What was the number of initial members of the United Nations?

Appeared in: CGHS SSC - 2018

Explanation

The United Nations was founded in 1945 with 51 original member states.
The UN Charter was initially signed by 50 countries at the conclusion of the San Francisco Conference.
Poland was not present at the conference but signed the charter later, making it the 51st founding member.
The UN officially came into existence on October 24, 1945.

Option A: This number represents the total UN membership several decades after its founding, not the initial count.
Option B: This is the number of permanent members of the UN Security Council, often referred to as the P5.
Option C: This number does not have a direct and significant connection to the founding membership of the United Nations.

Clinical Relevance

Nursing practice connection: This is primarily an exam-oriented knowledge point with limited direct bedside application, so retain History and formation of the United Nations as background academic context rather than a clinical decision trigger.
While this is a general knowledge question, the UN is highly relevant to global health. It is the parent organization of the World Health Organization (WHO).
WHO sets international health standards, coordinates responses to global health emergencies (like pandemics), and works to improve health systems worldwide.
Nurses in India and abroad may participate in programs funded or supported by UN agencies like WHO or UNICEF, such as large-scale immunization campaigns or disaster relief efforts.

How to Approach the Question

This is a factual recall question based on world history.
First, identify the key terms in the question: 'initial members' and 'United Nations'. This directs you to the specific historical event of the UN's formation.
Recall or deduce the time period, which is immediately after World War II, in 1945.
Evaluate the given options. The number '5' is a common distractor related to the UN, representing the permanent Security Council members. '151' is clearly too large for a founding number of an organization in 1945.
Between the remaining options, '51' is the correct historical fact for the number of original signatories.
Confirm the answer by remembering the detail that 50 nations signed at the conference, and Poland was added shortly after as the 51st founder.

Concept Tested & Keywords

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Practise the full CGHS SSC - 2018

Attempt every question from this paper in a timed mock, then review the full solution for each one.