Founded October 24, 1945, the United Nations originally had only 51 nation members. The membership has grown to 180 nations - nearly every nation in the world. John D. Rockefeller, Jr. donated the 8.5 million dollars needed to purchase the 18-acre East River site. American architect, Wallace Harrison was enlisted (along with an international board of consultants) to design the buildings. An interesting fact is that the site is not a part of United States territory. It is an international zone that has its own post office, security, and even postage stamps. The goals of the United Nations are to promote world peace, self-determination, and to aid in economic and social well-being throughout the world. The UN has no army. Governments voluntarily supply troops and other personnel to halt conflicts that threaten peace and security. The United States and other member states on the Security Council (not the Secretary-General) decide when and where to deploy peacekeeping troops. Eighty per cent of the work of the UN is devoted to helping developing countries build the capacity to help themselves. This includes promoting and protecting democracy and human rights; saving children from starvation and disease; providing relief assistance to refugees and disaster victims; countering global crime, drugs and disease; and assisting countries devastated by war and facing the long-term threat of land-mines. The total operating expenses for the UN system -- including the World Bank, IMF, and all the UN funds, programs, and specialized agencies -- are about $18.2 billion a year. This is less than the annual revenue of a major corporation like Dow Chemical, which realized revenues in excess of $20 billion in 1997. .