RICHARD ROTH, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It was quite an extravaganza for a Sunday morning in New York. There were kings. There were presidents. The largest gathering ever of world leaders to hail the 50th anniversary of the start of the United Nations. Their day began with the biggest photo-op in history. World leaders used to giving orders had to stand side by side for 10 minutes on the receiving end of instructions.</s>ROTH: The United Nations was created right after World War II. And its purpose really was to prevent World War III. Many leaders from countries that were fighting were talking, even while the war was going on, about "we need a different system." Because the League of Nations collapsed. And the thought was, when this war ends, "let's get it right." And the goal was certainly to provide a forum for the world to talk, instead of fight. The United Nations was officially founded in San Francisco, and the charter was signed there. All of the world leaders were there, the 51 original members of the U.N., people from the Arab world, Africa, trooped to the City by the Bay. That's where the U.N. really was born.</s>ROTH: As the birthday cheers fade, the members of the United Nations were left with a sobering thought. The secretary-general told them, the problems of the next 50 years will be even more difficult than those of the first half-century.
CNN 20: United Nations 50th Anniversary, October 24, 1995