Events in the year 1959 in Norway.

Incumbents

Monarch A monarch is a head of stateWebster's II New College DictionarMonarch Houghton Mifflin. Boston. 2001. p. 707. Life tenure, for life or until abdication, and therefore the head of state of a monarchy. A monarch may exercise the highest authority ...

– Olav V *

Prime Minister A prime minister, premier or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. Under those systems, a prime minister is not ...

– Einar Gerhardsen ( Labour Party)

Events

* 16 February – The

Norwegian National Opera and Ballet The Norwegian National Opera and Ballet ( no, Den Norske Opera & Ballett, links=no) is a Norwegian opera company and ballet company. The first fully professional company each for opera and ballet in Norway and the only such professional organisati ...

holds its first performance in

Folketeatret Folketeateret is a theatre in Oslo, Norway. The building has been used as a movie theatre and as an opera house. The theatre has 1,400 seats. History The theatre itself operated from 1952 to 1959, but the institution has a much longer history. ...

in Oslo. * 26 June – The "Farmers' Party" (Bondepartiet) changes its name to the " Centre Party" (Senterpartiet). * 19 July –

Nikita Khrushchev Nikita Sergeyevich Khrushchev (– 11 September 1971) was the First Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union from 1953 to 1964 and chairman of the country's Council of Ministers from 1958 to 1964. During his rule, Khrushchev s ...

cancels a planned visit to Norway, among others due to an alleged anti-Soviet press coverage. * 29 December – The Norwegian government signs the EFTA free trade treaty. Norway becomes an EFTA member. * Municipal and county elections are held throughout the country.

Popular culture

Sports

Music

Film

Literature

* Harald Sverdrup, poet and children's writer, is awarded the

Mads Wiel Nygaard's Endowment Mads Wiel Nygaard's Endowment is an annually awarded literary prize from the publishing house Aschehoug. The prize is a recognition of superior literary work. The publisher's editorial management makes the award based on their collective judgement ...

literary prize.

Notable births

*19 January ** Arne Borgstrøm, swimmer. **

Sigmund Steinnes Sigmund Steinnes (19 January 1959 – 15 November 2018) was a Norwegian politician for the Labour Party. In the 2013 elections he was elected as a deputy representative to the Parliament of Norway from Troms. He met during 90 days of parliamen ...

, politician (died 2018). *27 January –

Elizabeth Norberg-Schulz Elizabeth Norberg-Schulz (born 27 January 1959) is a Norwegian-Italian operatic soprano. Early life and education Elizabeth Norberg-Schulz is the daughter of Norwegian architectural theorist Christian Norberg-Schulz, and Italian translator and ...

, operatic soprano. *10 February –

Steinar Ness Steinar Gudmund Ness (born 10 February 1959) is a Norwegian politician for the Centre Party. He was born in Viksdalen. From 1984 to 1985 he was the leader of the Centre Youth, the youth wing of the Centre Party. He would later become general secr ...

, politician. *13 February – Arne Thomassen, politician. *23 February – Sidsel Wold, correspondent and non-fiction writer. *27 February –

Tore Sagvolden Tore Sagvolden (born 27 February 1959) is a Norway, Norwegian orienteering Competition, competitor. He is four times Relay World Champion, in 1981, 1983, 1985 and 1987.

, orienteering competitor. *9 March –

Nils T. Bjørke Nils T. Bjørke (born 9 March 1959) is a Norwegian farmer, organisational leader and politician. A former leader of the Norwegian Agrarian Association, he was elected to the Storting for Hordaland in 2017 Norwegian parliamentary election, 2017. ...

, farmer, organisational leader and politician. *10 March –

Ruth Mari Grung Ruth Mari Grung (born 10 March 1959) is a Norwegian politician for the Labour Party (Norway), Labour Party. She was a member of the Storting from Hordaland from 2013 to 2021. She served as the Bergen City Commissioner for Labour, Social Affairs ...

, politician. *16 March –

Jens Stoltenberg Jens Stoltenberg (born 16 March 1959) is a Norwegian politician who has been serving as the 13th secretary general of NATO since 2014. A member of the Norwegian Labour Party, he previously served as the 34th prime minister of Norway from 2000 to ...

, prime minister and Secretary-General of NATO *23 March –

Unni Larsen Unni Larsen (born 23 March 1959) is a Norwegian former racing cyclist and dogsled racer. She participated at the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles where she placed fourth. She has fifteen victories in various Norwegian cycling championships, ...

, racing cyclist and dogsled racer. *1 April – Pål Farstad, politician. *3 April –

Hanne Bramness Hanne Bramness (born 3 April 1959) is a Norwegian poet and translator. She made her literary debut in 1983 with the poetry collection ''Korrespondanse''. Other collections are ''I sin tid'' from 1986, ''Nattens kontinent'' from 1992, and ''Revolus ...

, poet and translator. *10 April –

Mona Juul Mona Juul (born 10 April 1959) is an official in the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and former politician for the Labour Party. Juul hails from Sparbu, and was educated in political science. She played a key role facilitating the Oslo Acc ...

, diplomat and politician *2 May –

Sanna Grønlid Sanna Grønlid (born 2 May 1959) is a former Norwegian biathlete, world champion and world cup winner. World championships She received a gold medal in the 5 km sprint at the 1985 Biathlon World Championships in Egg am Etzel,

, biathlete. *6 May – Morten Staubo, speed skater. *14 May –

Bjørn Ousland Bjørn Ousland (born 14 May 1959) is a Norwegian illustrator, children's writer and comics writer. His breakthrough was the album An album is a collection of audio recordings issued on compact disc (CD), vinyl, audio tape, or another ...

, comics writer. *22 June –

Steffen Tangstad Steffen Tangstad (born 22 June 1959) is a Norwegian retired professional boxer and two time European Heavyweight Champion. Tangstad fought Michael Spinks for the IBF Heavyweight title on 6 September 1986, losing as a result of a fourth round kno ...

, boxer (died 2024). *27 June – Thure Erik Lund, author *29 June – Harald Tveit Alvestrand, computer scientist *5 July –

Synnøve Brenden Klemetrud Synnøve Brenden (born 5 July 1959) is a Norwegian politician for the Labour Party. During the cabinet Jagland, she was appointed political advisor in the Ministry of Agriculture. She has later served as a deputy representative to the Norwegian ...

, politician *8 July –

Tom Egeland Tom Egeland (born 8 July 1959 in Oslo) is a Norwegian author. His great-grandfather was Jon Flatabø from Kvam in Hardanger, one of the pioneer authors of popular literature in Norway. Egeland's novels are published in Norwegian and transelate ...

, author *27 August –

Frode Fjellheim Frode Fjellheim (born 27 August 1959 in Mussere) is a Southern Saami yoiker and musician (piano and synthesizer) from Norway. He is best known for his band Transjoik and as the composer of the 2002 song "Eatnemen Vuelie", which was later adapted ...

, Sami musician *14 September –

Morten Harket Morten Harket () (born September 14, 1959) is a Norwegian vocalist and songwriter, who is the lead singer of the synthpop/rock band A-ha. A-ha has released 10 studio albums to date, and topped the charts internationally after their breakthrough ...

A-ha A-ha (usually stylised as ''a-''h''a''; ) is a Norwegian synth-pop band formed in Oslo in 1982. Founded by Paul Waaktaar-Savoy (guitars and vocals), Magne Furuholmen (keyboards, guitars and vocals), and Morten Harket (lead vocals), the band ...

lead singer *29 September –

Jon Fosse Jon Olav Fosse (born 29 September 1959) is a Norwegian author and dramatist. Biography Jon Fosse was born in Haugesund, Norway. A serious accident at age seven brought him close to death; the experience significantly influenced his adulthood wr ...

, author and dramatist *21 October – Åslaug Haga, politician and Minister *1 November –

Pål Gerhard Olsen Pål Gerhard Olsen (born 1 November 1959) is a Norwegian novelist, children's writer, crime fiction writer, playwright and literary critic. Career Olsen was born in Bergen. He made his literary debut in 1985, with ''Svart, svart – og et tynt la ...

, author. *7 November – Kristin Glosimot Kjelsberg, handball player. *28 November – Lars Sørgard, economist and civil servant. *2 December – Hans Kristian Amundsen, newspaper editor and politician (d.

2018 File:2018 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: The 2018 Winter Olympics opening ceremony in PyeongChang, South Korea; Protests erupt following the Assassination of Jamal Khashoggi; March for Our Lives protests take place across the United ...

) *28 December – Ragnhild Noer, judge.

Notable deaths

*21 March – Hartvig Caspar Christie (politician), Hartvig Caspar Christie, politician (born 1893) *17 May – Alf Grindrud, politician (born 1904) *16 June – Konrad Knudsen, painter, journalist and politician (born 1890) *3 July – Johan Bojer, novelist and dramatist (born 1872) *15 July – Peter Egge, writer (born 1869) *28 July – Roald Larsen, speed skater and Olympic silver medallist (born 1898) *5 September – Sigvald Hasund, researcher of agriculture, politician and Minister (born 1868) *21 November – Olav Meisdalshagen, politician and Minister (born 1903)

Full date unknown

*Eivind Berggrav, Lutheran bishop (born 1884) *Sverre Grette, judge (born 1888) *Kristian Hansson, jurist and civil servant (born 1895) *Olaf Norli, bookseller and publisher (born 1861) *Lars Slagsvold, veterinarian (born 1887) *Sverre Kornelius Eilertsen Støstad, politician and Minister (born 1887) *G. Unger Vetlesen, shipbuilder and philanthropist (born 1889)

References

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:1959 in Norway 1959 in Norway,