Two countries thousands of miles apart, joined by a single Cold War compromise.

On October 27, 1961, the United Nations admitted Mongolia and Mauritania as members. Mongolia's bid had been blocked for years, while the Soviet Union had threatened to veto Mauritania, recently independent from France. In the end both were admitted on the same day.

For Mongolia, UN membership confirmed its place as a sovereign state in the world. For Mauritania, it was international recognition only a year after independence.

It's a reminder that many nations' place on the world stage came through hard diplomatic bargaining.

What do you know about Mongolia or Mauritania?

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