Famous People from Finland

Famous People from Finland

Tarja Halonen

In 1906, Finland became the first European country to grant women the right to vote. Some 94 years later, it elected its first female president. Finnish Social Democrat Tarja Halonen Tarja Halonen (born 1943) became Finland's first female first female president president in February of 2000.

Martti Ahtisaari

Martti Oiva Kalevi AhtisMartti Oiva Kalevi Ahtisaari (born 23 June 1937) is the tenth President of Finland (1994–2000). Mr. Ahtisaari was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for 2008 for his important efforts, over more than three decades, to resolve international conflict.

Jean Sibelius

Jean Sibelius was a Finnish composer of classical music. Sibelius is considered to be one of the most popular composers of the late 19th and early 20th century. His music and genius have also played an important role in forming of the Finnish national identity. Some of his most famous compositions are Finlandia Finlandia, Valse Valse TristeTriste, the violin concerto, the the Karelia Suite Karelia Suite and The Swan of The Swan of Tuonela.Tuonela.

Akseli Gallen-Kallela Abseil Gallen-Kallela Abseil Gallen-Kallela (26 April 1865, Pori – 7 March 1931) was a Finnish painter who is best known for his illustrations of the KalevalaKalevala, the Finnish national epic. His work was considered very important for the Finnish national identity.

Mika Pauli Häkkinen

He was born on 28 September 1968 in Vantaa in the Helsinki metropolitan area. Häkkinen is a Finnish racing driver and two-time Formula One World Champion. Seven-time world champion and rival Michael Schumacher said Häkkinen is the man he respected the most during his Formula One career.

Kimi-Matias Räikkönen

Räikkönen, born 17 October 1979 in Espoo, nicknamed IcemanIceman, is a Finnish World Rally Championship and former Formula One driver. After nine seasons racing in Formula One in which he took the 2007 Formula One World Drivers' Championship, he now competes in the World Rally Championship for the ICE 1 Racing team.

Räikkönen at the 2010 Rally Bulgaria

Janne Petteri Ahonen

Ahonen (born May 11, 1977) is a Finnish ski jumper who has competed in the world cup since 1992. He is one of the most successful ski jumpers of all time - 5 World Championahip gold medals! Ahonen is also all-time leader in World Cup total points and podiums (108) and third in victories (36), only behind Matti Nykänen (46) and Adam Małysz (39). One of Ahonen's trademark features is his apparent lack of emotion when competing, as he is rarely seen smiling, even when celebrating on the podium. This has prompted the German press to conceive him nickname "The Mask"."The Mask".

Hanno Möttölä

Hanno Möttölä Hanno Möttölä (born September 9, 1976 in Helsinki) is a Finnish professional basketball player. Möttölä previously played for the Atlanta Hawks in the National Basketball Association (NBA), in the power forward position, where he became the first player from Finland to play in the NBA.

Juha Leiviskä

Juha Ilmari Leiviskä (born 17 March 1936 in Helsinki) is a prominent architect from Finland. Leiviskä came to international attention during the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s with designs for churches in different parts of Finland, each employing a similar design language. "Architecture is closer to music than to the visual arts. To qualify as architecture, buildings, together with their internal spaces and their details, must be an organic part of the environment, of its grand drama, of its movement and of its spatial sequences. To me, a building as it stands, "as a piece of architecture" is nothing. Its meaning comes only in counterpoint with its surroundings, with life and with light.”

St Thomas' Church in Oulu

Männistö Church in Kuopio

Presented by the StudentsFrom “Ivan Vazov” Primary School

Vidin, Bulgaria