Federico Mayor Zaragoza

Federico Mayor Zaragoza
Mayor Zaragoza in 1999
Director-General of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization
In office
16 November 1987  12 November 1999
Preceded byAmadou-Mahtar M'Bow
Succeeded byKōichirō Matsuura
Minister of Education and Science
In office
1 December 1981  2 December 1982
Prime MinisterLeopoldo Calvo-Sotelo
Preceded byJuan Antonio Ortega y Díaz-Ambrona
Succeeded byJosé María Maravall
Personal details
Born(1934-01-27)27 January 1934
Barcelona, Spain
Died19 December 2024(2024-12-19) (aged 90)
Madrid, Spain
Political partyUnion of the Democratic Centre
Democratic and Social Centre
SpouseMaría de los Ángeles Menéndez González
EducationComplutense University of Madrid

Federico Mayor Zaragoza (27 January 1934 – 19 December 2024) was a Spanish scientist, scholar, politician, diplomat and poet. He served as the director-general of the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) from 1987 to 1999. After his tenure as director-general, he continued to participate in various peace-related organizations, such as the Foundation for a Culture of Peace and the International Decade for the Promotion of a Culture of Peace and Non-Violence for the Children of the World, as a member of their honorary boards. Additionally, he served as the honorary chairman of the Académie de la Paix.