October 24, 1945: The Charter of the United Nations

October 24, 1945: The Charter of the United Nations is ratified by the original 5 permanent members of the United Nations Security Council: America, Britain, France, China and the Soviet Union, and by a majority of the other signatories. 

The Charter established the purposes, governing structure and overall framework of the UN system, including its 6 principal organs: The Secretariat, the General Assembly, the Security Council, the Economic and Social Council, the International Court of Justice, and the Trusteeship Council.

In commemoration of the event, the General Assembly celebrates United Nations Day every October 24, and schedules its annual gathering for the days leading up to the date.

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October 24, 1945 was a Wednesday.  Also on this day, Vidkun Quisling is executed by firing squad in the Norwegian capital of Oslo. The fascist leader of Norway during World War II, allied with the Nazis, was 58 years old. I have a separate entry for this event. And Gene Monahan, trainer for the New York Yankees from 1973 to 2011, was born.

The baseball season had ended 14 days before, when the Detroit Tigers beat the Chicago Cubs in Game 7 of the World Series. Football was in midweek. The NBA wasn't founded until the next year.  

The National Hockey League played its 1st peacetime game since April 16, 1939, with World War II beginning for Canada, as part of the British Empire, the following September 3. Although it had continued to operate for the duration, Canada's membership in the Empire had led to a serious manpower drain in the League.

Some teams were affected more than others. The New York Americans had to suspend operations after the 1941-42 season, and never started up again. The New York Rangers had won the Stanley Cup in 1940 and finished 1st overall in 1942, but went into a tailspin, and only reached the Stanley Cup Finals once in the next 30 years.

The Boston Bruins' entire "Kraut Line" -- Milt Schmidt centering Bobby Bauer and Woody Dumart -- all Canadians of German descent, helped them win the Cup in 1939 and 1941, and losing the Finals in 1943, dropped off after that, not winning another Cup until 1970, going 0-5 in Finals from 1941 to 1970.

The Bruins were the hosts in this peacetime puck-dropper, but lost to the Chicago Black Hawks, 5-4 at the Boston Garden. The Bruins would make the Finals in 1945-46, but lose to the Montreal Canadiens.