The following lists events that happened during

1978 Events January * January 1 – Air India Flight 855, a Boeing 747 passenger jet, crashes off the coast of Bombay, killing 213. * January 5 – Bülent Ecevit, of Republican People's Party, CHP, forms the new government of Turkey (42nd go ...

Finland Finland ( fi, Suomi ; sv, Finland ), officially the Republic of Finland (; ), is a Nordic country in Northern Europe. It shares land borders with Sweden to the northwest, Norway to the north, and Russia to the east, with the Gulf of B ...

Incumbents

President President most commonly refers to: *President (corporate title) *President (education), a leader of a college or university *President (government title) President may also refer to: Automobiles * Nissan President, a 1966–2010 Japanese ful ...

Urho Kekkonen Urho Kaleva Kekkonen (; 3 September 1900 – 31 August 1986), often referred to by his initials UKK, was a Finnish politician who served as the eighth and longest-serving president of Finland from 1956 to 1982. He also served as Prime Minister ...

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 ...

Kalevi Sorsa Taisto Kalevi Sorsa (21 December 1930 – 16 January 2004) was a Finnish politician who served as Prime Minister of Finland three times: 1972–1975, 1977–1979 and 1982–1987. At the time of his death he still held the record for most day ...

Events

2 January Events Pre-1600 * 69 – The Roman legions in Germania Superior refuse to swear loyalty to Galba. They rebel and proclaim Vitellius as emperor. * 366 – The Alemanni cross the frozen Rhine in large numbers, invading the Roman Empir ...

– At

1978 IIHF European U18 Championship The 1978 IIHF European U18 Championship was the eleventh playing of the IIHF European Junior Championships. This year's tournaments offered spectacular finishes in both Group A and Group B. In Group B's championship game, the Italians led with thr ...

final game, the Finnish ice hockey defeats Russia.Duplacey, 473 * 15–16 January –

1978 Finnish presidential election Two-stage presidential elections were held in Finland in 1978, the first since 1968 after Urho Kekkonen's term was extended by four years by Parliament.Dieter Nohlen & Philip Stöver (2010) ''Elections in Europe: A data handbook'', p630 The publ ...

Dieter Nohlen Dieter Nohlen (born 6 November 1939) is a German academic and political scientist. He currently holds the position of Emeritus Professor of Political Science in the Faculty of Economic and Social Sciences of the University of Heidelberg. An expe ...

& Philip Stöver (2010) ''Elections in Europe: A data handbook'', p630 * 18–26 February –

FIS Nordic World Ski Championships 1978 The FIS Nordic World Ski Championships 1978 took place February 18–26, 1978 in Lahti, Finland. This was Lahti's record fourth time hosting the event after previously doing so in 1926, 1938, and 1958. The women's 20 km event was added. Men ...

are held in

Lahti Lahti (; sv, Lahtis) is a city and municipality in Finland. It is the capital of the region of Päijänne Tavastia (Päijät-Häme) and its growing region is one of the main economic hubs of Finland. Lahti is situated on a bay at the southern e ...

. *

1 July Events Pre-1600 * 69 – Tiberius Julius Alexander orders his Roman legions in Alexandria to swear allegiance to Vespasian as Emperor. * 552 – Battle of Taginae: Byzantine forces under Narses defeat the Ostrogoths in Italy, and the ...

– Finland establishes diplomatic relations with

Botswana Botswana (, ), officially the Republic of Botswana ( tn, Lefatshe la Botswana, label=Setswana, ), is a landlocked country in Southern Africa. Botswana is topographically flat, with approximately 70 percent of its territory being the Kalahar ...

. * 29 August–3 September – Finland sends 33 athletes to the

1978 European Athletics Championships The 12th European Athletics Championships were held from 29 August to 3 September 1978 in the Stadion Evžena Rošického in Prague, the capital city of Czechoslovakia (present-day Czech Republic). Contemporaneous reports on the event were given i ...

. *

30 September Events Pre-1600 * 489 – The Ostrogoths under Theoderic the Great defeat the forces of Odoacer for the second time. * 737 – The Turgesh drive back an Umayyad invasion of Khuttal, follow them south of the Oxus, and capture their b ...

– Finnair Flight 405 aircraft is hijacked by Aarno Lamminparras in

Oulu Oulu ( , ; sv, Uleåborg ) is a city, municipality and a seaside resort of about 210,000 inhabitants in the region of North Ostrobothnia, Finland. It is the most populous city in northern Finland and the fifth most populous in the country after: ...

. * 13 October – ''

Poet and Muse ''Poet and Muse'' ( fi, Runoilija ja muusa) is a 1978 Finnish drama film directed by Jaakko Pakkasvirta. The film is about the Finnish poet Eino Leino and the women of his life: a conflict-filled marriage with Freya Schultz and a love affair wi ...

'' drama film is released.

Full date unknown

*'' Nuorallatanssijan kuolema eli kuinka Pete Q sai siivet'', Finnish rock musical is performed.

Births

19 January Events Pre-1600 * 379 – Emperor Gratian elevates Flavius Theodosius at Sirmium to ''Augustus'', and gives him authority over all the eastern provinces of the Roman Empire. * 649 – Conquest of Kucha: The forces of Kucha surrender ...

–

Laura Närhi Laura Närhi (born 19 January 1978) is a Finnish pop singer. The lead singer of Kemopetrol, she started a solo career and her debut solo album '' Suuri sydän'' was released in August 2010 and has sold over 30,000 copies in Finland. It peak ...

, pop singer *

28 February Events Pre-1600 *202 BC – Liu Bang is enthroned as the Emperor of China, beginning four centuries of rule by the Han dynasty. * 870 – The Fourth Council of Constantinople closes. *1525 – Aztec king Cuauhtémoc is executed on ...

– Mikko Innanen, saxophonist and composer *

1 March Events Pre-1600 *509 BC – Publius Valerius Publicola celebrates the first triumph of the Roman Republic after his victory over the deposed king Lucius Tarquinius Superbus at the Battle of Silva Arsia. * 293 – Emperor Diocletian and ...

–

Pete Seppälä Pete Seppälä (born 1 March 1978) is a Finnish singer who rose to popularity after placing third in '' Idols Finland 2'', the Finnish version of ''Pop Idol''. He was born in Espoo, Finland. ''Idols Finland 2'' performances Helsinki Auditions: ...

, singer *

8 March Events Pre-1600 *1010 – Ferdowsi completes his epic poem ''Shahnameh''. * 1126 – Following the death of his mother, queen Urraca of León, Alfonso VII is proclaimed king of León. *1262 – Battle of Hausbergen between bourg ...

–

Taneli Tikka Taneli Tikka (born 8 March 1978, Savitaipale, Finland) is a Finnish serial entrepreneur and IT influencer. Career Tikka studied software engineering at a school which is now known as the Metropolia University of Applied Sciences. While studyi ...

, entrepreneur and IT influencer *

21 April Events Pre-1600 *753 BC – Romulus founds Rome ( traditional date). *43 BC – Battle of Mutina: Mark Antony is again defeated in battle by Aulus Hirtius, who is killed. Antony fails to capture Mutina and Decimus Brutus is murdered s ...

– **

Jukka Nevalainen Jukka Antero "Julius" Nevalainen (born 21 April 1978, in Kitee, Finland) is the former drummer in the Finnish symphonic metal band Nightwish. Personal life He spent his early years in the city of Kitee. His music teacher at school told him t ...

, drummer, musician ** Paleface (birth name Karri Pekka Matias Miettinen), hip hop musician *

11 May Events 1601–1900 *1812 – Prime Minister Spencer Perceval is assassinated by John Bellingham in the lobby of the British House of Commons. *1813 – William Lawson, Gregory Blaxland and William Wentworth discover a route across th ...

–

Perttu Kivilaakso Perttu Päivö Kullervo Kivilaakso is a cello player for Finnish band Apocalyptica. Like fellow band members Eicca Toppinen and Paavo Lötjönen, he attended Sibelius Academy in Helsinki. He plays a German 19th century cello; he started play ...

, cello player *

12 June Events Pre-1600 * 910 – Battle of Augsburg: The Hungarians defeat the East Frankish army under King Louis the Child, using the famous feigned retreat tactic of the nomadic warriors. * 1240 – At the instigation of Louis IX of Franc ...

– Mikko Lehtonen, ice hockey player *

24 June Events Pre-1600 * 1312 BC – Mursili II launches a campaign against the Kingdom of Azzi-Hayasa. * 109 – Roman emperor Trajan inaugurates the Aqua Traiana, an aqueduct that channels water from Lake Bracciano, northwest of Rome. * ...

–

Emppu Vuorinen Nightwish is a Finnish symphonic metal band from Kitee. The band was formed in 1996 by lead songwriter and keyboardist Tuomas Holopainen, guitarist Emppu Vuorinen, and former lead singer Tarja Turunen. The band soon picked up drummer Jukka Neval ...

, guitarist, songwriter *

19 July Events Pre-1600 *AD 64 – The Great Fire of Rome causes widespread devastation and rages on for six days, destroying half of the city. * 484 – Leontius, Roman usurper, is crowned Eastern emperor at Tarsus (modern Turkey). He is re ...

–

Ilpo Larha Ilpo Tapio Larha (19 July 1968 in Helsinki, Finland – 17 March 1994 in Lahti, Finland) was a Finnish criminal. Larha became known through the contract murder of a 77-year-old crippled businessman Wilhelm Högsten in Jollas, a suburb of Helsi ...

, Finnish criminal. *

17 August Events Pre-1600 * 309/310 – Pope Eusebius is banished by the Emperor Maxentius to Sicily, where he dies, possibly from a hunger strike. * 682 – Pope Leo II begins his pontificate. * 986 – Byzantine–Bulgarian wars: Battle of ...

–

Jaani Peuhu Jaani Peuhu (born 17 August 1978) is a Finnish musician, producer and songwriter. He is the founder and lead vocalist of the Finnish band Iconcrash and currently working with his debut solo album. He currently resides in Helsinki. Background ...

, musician, producer, and songwriter * 22 September –

Mikko Leppilampi Mikko Johannes Leppilampi (born 22 September 1978 in Pälkäne, Finland) is a Finnish actor, musician, and TV host. He is the son of Jukka Leppilampi (born 1954), a Finnish gospel musician. Leppilampi is considered to be one of the most promis ...

, actor, musician, and TV host *

23 September Events Pre-1600 *AD 38, 38 – Julia Drusilla, Drusilla, Caligula's sister who died in June, with whom the emperor is said to have an incestuous relationship, is deified. *1122 – Pope Callixtus II and Holy Roman Emperor Henry V, Hol ...

–

Valtteri Laurell Pöyhönen Valtteri Laurell Pöyhönen (born September 23, 1978, in Helsinki, Finland) is a Finnish jazz guitarist, pianist, composer, bandleader and producer. He is best known as bandleader and composer of the 20-headed Ricky-Tick Big Band and the award-win ...

, jazz guitarist, pianist, composer, bandleader and producer *

24 November Events Pre-1600 * 380 – Theodosius I makes his ''adventus (ceremony), adventus'', or formal entry, into Constantinople. *1190 – Conrad of Montferrat becomes King of Jerusalem upon his marriage to Isabella I of Jerusalem. *1221 &nda ...

– Susanna Majuri, fine art photographer (died 2020) *

28 December Events Pre-1600 * 418 – A papal conclave begins, resulting in the election of Pope Boniface I. * 457 – Majorian is acclaimed as Western Roman Empire, Western Roman emperor. * 484 – Alaric II succeeds his father Euric and beco ...

–

Janita Janita Maria (née Raukko; born 28 December 1978), better known by her stage name Janita, (pronounced "YA-nee-tah") is a Finnish-born, American singer-songwriter. Born in Helsinki, she started her career in Finland and later moved to Brooklyn a ...

(Janita Maria (née Raukko), Finnish-born, American singer-songwriter

Full date unknown

Nopsajalka Antti Ilmari Hakala (born 1978), professionally known as Nopsajalka, is a Finnish musician and producer. Aside from his solo career, he has been a member of the bands Elokuu, and Kapteeni Ä-ni Kapteeni Ä-ni were a Finnish musical group who pl ...

(birth name Antti Ilmari Hakala), musician and producer

Deaths

13 March Events Pre-1600 *624 – The Battle of Badr, the first major battle between the Muslims and Quraysh. *1567 – The Battle of Oosterweel, traditionally regarded as the start of the Eighty Years' War. *1591 – At the Battle of Tond ...

–

Kaare Bache Kaare Bache (28 April 1888 – 13 March 1978) was a Norwegian triple jumper. He represented Kristiania IF and Oslo IL. At the 1920 Summer Olympics he finished ninth in the triple jump final with a jump of 13.64 metres. He became Norwegian cha ...

, triple jumper *

28 March Events Pre-1600 *AD 37 – Roman emperor Caligula accepts the titles of the Principate, bestowed on him by the Senate. * 193 – After assassinating the Roman Emperor Pertinax, his Praetorian Guards auction off the throne to Didius ...

–

Karl Lennart Oesch Karl Lennart Oesch (8 August 1892 – 28 March 1978) was one of Finland's leading generals during World War II. He held a string of high staff assignments and front commands, and at the end of the Continuation War commanded three Finnish army cor ...

, World War II general (born 1892)

References

Works cited

* {{Year in Europe, 1978 1970s in Finland

Years of the 20th century in Finland