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Björn Hjörtur Guðmundsson
Björn Hjörtur Guðmundsson (14 January 1911 – 14 July 1998), also known as Bjössi, was an Icelandic craftsman, master carpenter, idealist and environmental pioneer. He lived and worked in Borgarnes, Iceland, where he designed and constructed a small theme park for children called Bjössaróló, with play equipment which he built entirely from salvaged materials, and maintained it for many years. The President of Iceland, Vigdís Finnbogadóttir, visited Bjössaróló in 1993. Biography Björn was born in Ferjubakka í Borgarhreppi in 1911, son of Guðmundur Andrésson (31 October 1870 – 3 January 1969) and Ragnhildur Jónsdóttir (2 September 1877 – 2 July 1943). The family moved to Borgarnes in 1934 and Björn worked for the local Cooperative Society, Kaupfélag Borgfirðinga, which was the main employer in the area. After training as a carpenter he played a significant role as supervisor of buildings for Kaupfélag Borgfirðinga for many years. Björn started construc ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Iceland
Iceland ( is, Ísland; ) is a Nordic island country in the North Atlantic Ocean and in the Arctic Ocean. Iceland is the most sparsely populated country in Europe. Iceland's capital and largest city is Reykjavík, which (along with its surrounding areas) is home to over 65% of the population. Iceland is the biggest part of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge that rises above sea level, and its central volcanic plateau is erupting almost constantly. The interior consists of a plateau characterised by sand and lava fields, mountains, and glaciers, and many glacial rivers flow to the sea through the lowlands. Iceland is warmed by the Gulf Stream and has a temperate climate, despite a high latitude just outside the Arctic Circle. Its high latitude and marine influence keep summers chilly, and most of its islands have a polar climate. According to the ancient manuscript , the settlement of Iceland began in 874 AD when the Norwegian chieftain Ingólfr Arnarson became the first p ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Borgarnes
Borgarnes () is a town located on a peninsula at the shore of Borgarfjörður in Iceland and is the largest town in the Borgarbyggð municipality with a population of about 3800 residents. It is a main junction in Iceland and the gateway to the Snaefellsnes National Park. Iceland's capital Reykjavik is 69 kilometers from the center of Borgarnes. The second largest bridge in Iceland, the Borgarfjarðarbrú, connects traffic to and from Reykjavik. Local area There are four national forests in the region (approximately 40 km from the town center) which are overseen by the Icelandic Forest Service. The forest in Borgarfjardur are mix of Birch woods and native conifers. These forests are Vatnshorn, Norðtunga, Selskógar, Stalpastaðir and Jafnaskarð. Borgarnes has the oldest and tallest of the birch trees in Iceland. History Borgarnes was founded in the late nineteenth-century, in a region that served as the setting of Egil's Saga. The town draws its name from Borg á M ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Vigdís Finnbogadóttir
Vigdís Finnbogadóttir (; born 15 April 1930) is an Icelandic politician who served as the fourth president of Iceland from 1980 to 1996. She was the world's first woman who was democratically elected as president. With a presidency of exactly sixteen years, she also remains longest-serving elected female head of state of any country to date. Currently, she is a UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador, and a member of the Club of Madrid. She is also to-date Iceland's only female president. Early life Vigdís Finnbogadóttir was born at Reykjavík on 15 April 1930. Her father, Finnbogi Rútur Þorvaldsson, was a civil engineer, as well as a professor at the University of Iceland. Her mother, Sigríður Eiríksdóttir, was a nurse and the chairperson of the Icelandic Nurses Association. They had two children: Vigdís and then a son, Þorvaldur, a year later. After passing her matriculation exam in 1949, Vigdís studied French and French literature at the University of Grenoble and the Sorbo ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Borgarhreppur
Borgarhreppur () was formerly a rural parish (''hreppur'') in Mýrasýsla county, west Iceland Iceland ( is, Ísland; ) is a Nordic island country in the North Atlantic Ocean and in the Arctic Ocean. Iceland is the most sparsely populated country in Europe. Iceland's capital and largest city is Reykjavík, which (along with its s ..., named after the ancient farm and church estate Borg á Mýrum which was occupied by Skallagrímur Kveldúlfsson, one of Iceland's original settlers. On 7 June 1998 Borgarhreppur joined the Borgarbyggð municipality, along with Álftaneshreppur and Þverárhlíðarhreppur. Populated places in Iceland {{Iceland-geo-stub ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Seesaw
A seesaw (also known as a teeter-totter or teeterboard) is a long, narrow board supported by a single pivot point, most commonly located at the midpoint between both ends; as one end goes up, the other goes down. These are most commonly found at parks and school playgrounds. Mechanics Mechanically, a seesaw is a lever which consists of a beam and fulcrum with the effort and load on either sides. Varieties The most common playground design of seesaw features a board balanced in the center. A person sits on each end, and they take turns pushing their feet against the ground to lift their side into the air. Playground seesaws usually have handles for the riders to grip as they sit facing each other. One problem with the seesaw's design is that if a child allows himself/herself to hit the ground suddenly after jumping, or exits the seesaw at the bottom, the other child may fall and be injured. For this reason, seesaws are often mounted above a soft surface such as foam, wood chi ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Morgunblaðið
''Morgunblaðið'' (, ''The Morning Paper'') is an Icelandic newspaper. ''Morgunblaðið''s website, mbl.is, is the most popular website in Iceland. History ''Morgunblaðið'' was founded by Vilhjálmur Finsen and Ólafur Björnsson, brother of Iceland's first president. The first issue, only eight pages long, was published on 2 November 1913. On 25 February 1964, the paper first printed a caricature by Sigmúnd Jóhannsson which featured the first landings on Surtsey. He became a permanent cartoonist for ''Morgunblaðið'' in 1975 and worked there until October 2008. In a controversial decision, the owners of the paper decided in September 2009 to appoint Davíð Oddsson, a member of the Independence Party, Iceland's longest-serving Prime Minister and former Governor of the Central Bank, as one of the two editors of the paper. In May 2010, Helgi Sigurðsson was hired as the papers cartoonist. He became known for controversial drawings on topics such as immigration, refugee ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Icelandic Króna
The króna or krona (sometimes called Icelandic crown; sign: kr; code: ISK) is the currency of Iceland. Iceland is the second-smallest country by population, after the Seychelles, to have its own currency and monetary policy. Name Like the Nordic currencies (such as the Danish krone, Swedish krona and Norwegian krone) that participated in the historical Scandinavian Monetary Union, the name ''króna'' (meaning ''crown'') comes from the Latin word ''corona'' ("crown"). The name "Icelandic crown" is sometimes used alternatively, for example in the financial markets. First krona, 1874–1981 The Danish krone was introduced to Iceland in 1874, replacing the earlier Danish currency, the rigsdaler. In 1885, Iceland began issuing its own banknotes. The Icelandic krona separated from the Danish krone after the dissolution of the Scandinavian Monetary Union at the start of World War I and Icelandic sovereignty from Denmark in 1918. The first coins were issued in 1922. Iceland ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Orkuveita Reykjavíkur
Orkuveita Reykjavíkur (English: Reykjavík Energy) is an Icelandic energy and Public utility, utility company that provides electricity, geothermal energy, geothermal hot water through district heating and cold water for consumption and fire fighting. It also operates a wholesale access fiber network and waste-treatment facilities. The company's service area extends to 20 communities in the south-west part of Iceland. Orkuveita Reykjavíkur is owned by the City of Reykjavík (93.5%) and the Municipalities of Akranes (5.5%) and Borgarbyggð (1%). History Orkuveita Reykjavíkur was established 1 January 1999, by uniting Rafmagnsveita Reykjavíkur and Hitaveita Reykjavíkur. Rafmagnsveita Reykjavíkur was established in the year 1921. Hitaveita Reykjavíkur became an independent company in 1946, having been in operation as a City entity since 1930. In the year 2000 Vatnsveita Reykjavíkur was united with Orkuveita Reykjavíkur, but the former started operation 16 June 1909. Orkuveit ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
1911 Births
A notable ongoing event was the race for the South Pole. Events January * January 1 – A decade after federation, the Northern Territory and the Australian Capital Territory are added to the Commonwealth of Australia. * January 3 ** 1911 Kebin earthquake: An earthquake of 7.7 moment magnitude strikes near Almaty in Russian Turkestan, killing 450 or more people. ** Siege of Sidney Street in London: Two Latvian anarchists die, after a seven-hour siege against a combined police and military force. Home Secretary Winston Churchill arrives to oversee events. * January 5 – Egypt's Zamalek SC is founded as a general sports and Association football club by Belgian lawyer George Merzbach as Qasr El Nile Club. * January 14 – Roald Amundsen's South Pole expedition makes landfall, on the eastern edge of the Ross Ice Shelf. * January 18 – Eugene B. Ely lands on the deck of the USS ''Pennsylvania'' stationed in San Francisco harbor ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
