Events in the year 2001 in Norway.

Incumbents

Monarch A monarch () is a head of stateWebster's II New College Dictionary. "Monarch". 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 ...

–

Harald V Harald V (, ; born 21 February 1937) has been King of Norway since 1991. A member of the House of Glücksburg, Harald was the third child and only son of King Olav V of Norway and Princess Märtha of Sweden. He was second in the line of succ ...

Prime Minister A prime minister 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. A prime minister is not the head of state, but r ...

–

Jens Stoltenberg Jens Stoltenberg (; born 16 March 1959) is a Norwegian politician from the Labour Party. Since 2025, he has been the Minister of Finance in the Støre Cabinet. He has previously been the prime minister of Norway and secretary general of NATO. ...

( Labour Party) until 19 October,

Kjell Magne Bondevik Kjell Magne Bondevik (; born 3 September 1947) is a Norway, Norwegian Lutheranism, Lutheran Religious minister, minister and Politics of Norway, politician. As leader of the Christian Democratic Party (Norway), Christian Democratic Party, he ser ...

(

Christian Democratic Party __NOTOC__ Christian democratic parties are political parties that seek to apply Christian principles to public policy. The underlying Christian democracy movement emerged in 19th-century Europe, largely under the influence of Catholic social tea ...

)

Events

January

* 26 January:

Murder of Benjamin Hermansen Benjamin Hermansen (29 May 1985 – 26 January 2001) was a Norwegian youth whose father was born in Ghana; his mother was Norwegian. He was stabbed to death at Holmlia in Oslo, Norway, just before midnight on 26 January 2001 by people from th ...

February

* February – Former Prime Minister, then

foreign affairs minister In many countries, the ministry of foreign affairs (abbreviated as MFA or MOFA) is the highest government department exclusively or primarily responsible for the state's foreign policy and relations, diplomacy, bilateral, and multilateral rela ...

Thorbjørn Jagland Thorbjørn Jagland ( né Johansen; , 5 November 1950) is a Norwegian politician from the Labour Party. He served as the secretary general of the Council of Europe from 2009 to 2019. He served as the prime minister of Norway from 1996 to 1997, a ...

makes a political scandal when he jokingly refers to

Gabon Gabon ( ; ), officially the Gabonese Republic (), is a country on the Atlantic coast of Central Africa, on the equator, bordered by Equatorial Guinea to the northwest, Cameroon to the north, the Republic of the Congo to the east and south, and ...

's president

Omar Bongo Omar Bongo Ondimba (born Albert-Bernard Bongo; 30 December 1935 – 8 June 2009) was a Gabonese politician who was the second president of Gabon from 1967 until Death and state funeral of Omar Bongo, his death in 2009. A member of the Gabonese De ...

, due for a state visit to Norway, as "

Bongo from Congo Bongo may refer to: Entertainment * ''Bongo'' (Australian TV series), on air from August to November 1960 * Bongo Comics, a comic book publishing company * Bongo (''Dragon Ball'') or Krillin, a character in ''Dragon Ball'' media * ''Bongo'' ( ...

". * February – Around 40,000 people in Oslo march in a rally to express their outrage and devastation over the racially motivated murder in

Holmlia Holmlia is a neighborhood in Oslo, Norway with around 12,000 residents. It is located in the south-western part of Søndre Nordstrand, the southernmost borough in Oslo. The neighborhood is served by Holmlia Station on the Østfold Line, which ...

, Oslo of a young black Norwegian boy, Benjamin Hermansen at the hands of a group af

neo-Nazi Neo-Nazism comprises the post–World War II militant, social, and political movements that seek to revive and reinstate Nazism, Nazi ideology. Neo-Nazis employ their ideology to promote hatred and Supremacism#Racial, racial supremacy (ofte ...

s. Marches take place simultaneously all over Norway.

March

* 25 March – The

Schengen Agreement The Schengen Agreement ( , ) is a treaty which led to the creation of Europe's Schengen Area, in which internal border checks have largely been abolished. It was signed on 14 June 1985, near the town of Schengen, Luxembourg, by five of the t ...

treaty comes into force in Norway.

April

May

June

* 18 June – The state-owned oil and gas company

Statoil Equinor ASA (formerly Statoil and StatoilHydro) is a Norwegian multinational energy company headquartered in Stavanger, Norway. It is primarily a petroleum company operating in 36 countries with additional investments in renewable energy. In th ...

is listed on the

Oslo Stock Exchange Oslo Stock Exchange () (OSE: OSLO) is a stock exchange within the Nordic countries and offers Norway's only regulated markets for securities trading today. The stock exchange offers a full product range including equities, derivatives and fixed ...

July

August

* August – The

Bratsberg Line The Bratsberg Line () is a railway line between Eidanger and Notodden in Telemark county, Norway. It opened in 1917, connecting the Tinnos Line, the Sørland Line and the Vestfold Line; allowing Norsk Hydro to transport fertilizer from their pl ...

Nedre Telemark Grenland is a traditional district in Telemark county, in the south-east of Norway. "Grenland" has referred to varying locations throughout history. In modern times, Grenland refers to the areas of the municipalities of Skien, Porsgrunn, Bamble, ...

closes down. It was opened in 1917. * 25 August –

Wedding of Haakon, Crown Prince of Norway, and Mette-Marit Tjessem Høiby The wedding of Haakon, Crown Prince of Norway and Mette-Marit Tjessem Høiby took place on 25 August 2001 at Oslo Cathedral. It was the first royal wedding to take place in Norway since the marriage of then- Crown Prince Harald to Sonja Haraldsen ...

September

* 10 September – The

2001 Norwegian parliamentary election Parliamentary elections were held in Norway on 9 and 10 September 2001.Dieter Nohlen & Philip Stöver (2010) ''Elections in Europe: A data handbook'', p1438 The governing Labour Party lost seats and their vote share was the worst they had ever ...

takes place. The

Norwegian Labour Party The Labour Party (; , A or Ap; ), formerly The Norwegian Labour Party (, DNA), is a Social democracy, social democratic List of political parties in Norway, political party in Norway. It is positioned on the centre-left of the political spectru ...

won a plurality of votes and seats, closely followed by the Conservative Party. The Labour Party was unable to form a government, and a centre-right coalition of the Conservative Party, the Christian People's Party and the

Liberal Party The Liberal Party is any of many political parties around the world. The meaning of ''liberal'' varies around the world, ranging from liberal conservatism on the right to social liberalism on the left. For example, while the political systems ...

was formed, led by

Norwegian Prime Minister The prime minister of Norway (, which directly translates to "minister of state") is the head of government and chief executive of Norway. The prime minister and Cabinet (consisting of all the most senior government department heads) are coll ...

of the Christian Democratic Party.

October

* 19 October –

's Second Cabinet was appointed.

November

* 3 November – Population Census: 4,520,900 inhabitants in Norway. * 17 November –

Eurasian harvest mouse The harvest mouse (''Micromys minutus'') is a small rodent native to Europe and Asia. It is typically found in fields of cereal crops, such as wheat and oats, in reed beds and in other tall ground vegetation, such as long grass and hedgerows. I ...

is observed in Norway for the first time.

December

Popular culture

Sports

Music

* Norway in the Eurovision Song Contest 2001

Film

Literature

Jan Kjærstad Jan Kjærstad (born 6 March 1953 in Oslo) is a Norwegian author.Jan Kjærstad
in

Nordic Council Literature Prize The Nordic Council Literature Prize is awarded for a work of literature written in one of the languages of the Nordic countries, that meets "high literary and artistic standards". Established in 1962, the prize is awarded every year, and is worth ...

, for ''

The Discoverer ''The Discoverer'' () is a 1999 novel by Norwegian author Jan Kjærstad. It won the Nordic Council's Literature Prize The Nordic Council Literature Prize is awarded for a work of literature written in one of the languages of the Nordic countrie ...

''.

Television

Notable births

* 12 January –

Vilde Nilsen Vilde Nilsen (born 12 January 2001) is a Norwegian Paralympic cross-country skier and biathlete. Career She made her Paralympic debut during the 2018 Winter Paralympics at the age of 17. Vilde Nilsen claimed a silver medal in the women's 1.5k ...

, Paralympic cross-country skier and biathlete *16 April – Mia Svele, handball player *14 July –

Maren Grøthe Maren Grøthe (born 14 July 2001) is a Norwegian politician currently serving as a deputy representative for Sør-Trøndelag since 2021. A member of the Centre Party, she is the youngest person elected as a representative in the Storting. Poli ...

, politician.

Notable deaths

January to June

*12 January –

Gunnar Olram Gunnar Carl Andreas Olram (19 December 1908 – 12 January 2001) was a Norwegian actor and stage instructor. Early life Olram was born in Halden on 19 December 1908. Professional career He made his stage debut at Centralteatret in 1930. ...

, actor and stage director (born

1908 This is the longest year in either the Julian or Gregorian calendars, having a duration of 31622401.38 seconds of Terrestrial Time (or ephemeris time), measured according to the definition of mean solar time. Events January * January ...

). *17 January – Sigurd Vestad, cross country skier (born 1907) * 20 January –

Rønnaug Alten Rønnaug Alten (9 February 1910 – 20 January 2001) was a Norwegian actress and stage instructor. Biography She was born in Tromsø, Norway. Her parents were Emil Bredenbech Melle (1878–1950) and Ragna Aass (1880–1975). After her parents' ...

, actress (born

1910 Events January * January 6 – Abé people in the French West Africa colony of Côte d'Ivoire rise against the colonial administration; the rebellion is brutally suppressed by the military. * January 8 – By the Treaty of Punakha, t ...

). *26 January – Benjamin Hermansen, murder victim (born 1985) *4 February –

Asbjørn Antoni Holm Asbjørn is a Norwegian and Danish male given name. In 2013, there were more than 7,000 men in Norway with this name. In Norway it reached the peak of its popularity between 1910 and 1930, during which period approximately 1% of children were gi ...

, politician (born 1921) *8 February –

Ivo Caprino Ivo Caprino (17 February 1920 – 8 February 2001) was a Norway, Norwegian film director and writer, best known for his puppet films. His most noted film, ''Flåklypa Grand Prix'' (Pinchcliffe Grand Prix), was made in 1975. Early life Cap ...

, film director and writer (born 1920) *8 February – Torkell Tande, politician (born 1901) *13 February –

Knut Theodor Gleditsch Knut Theodor "Gle" Gleditsch (July 3, 1938 – February 13, 2001) was a Norwegian sportscaster from Sande, Vestfold. Life After spending some time at sea and studying as a business economist from the BI Norwegian Business School, he became a ...

, sports commentator (born 1938) *14 February –

Olav Reiersøl Olav Reiersøl (28 June 1908 – 14 February 2001) was a Norwegian statistician and econometrician, who made several substantial contributions to econometrics and statistics. His works on identifiability and instrumental variables are standard r ...

, statistician and econometrician (born 1908) *8 March – David Sandved, architect (born 1912) *11 March –

Finn Ferner Finn Christian FernerProfile (with full name)
geni.com; accessed 19 December 2015. (10 ...

, sailor and Olympic silver medallist (born 1920) *22 March –

Rolf Birger Pedersen Rolf Birger "Pesen" Pedersen (23 September 1939 - 22 March 2001) was a Norwegian footballer and football coach. He grew up near Brann Stadion, and later became one of Brann's most legendary players. He was also capped 15 times for the Norway n ...

, football player and coach (born 1939) *28 March – Alf Frotjold, trade unionist (born 1929) *29 March –

Helge Ingstad Helge Marcus Ingstad (30 December 1899 – 29 March 2001) was a Norwegian explorer. In 1960, after mapping some Norse settlements, Ingstad and his wife archaeologist Anne Stine Ingstad found remnants of a Viking settlement in L'Anse aux Meadow ...

, explorer (born 1899) *4 April –

Sverre Engen Sverre S. Engen (January 28, 1911 – April 4, 2001) was a Norwegian-American skier, ski coach, ski area manager, and film-maker. Biography Engen was born in the town of Mjøndalen, in Buskerud county, Norway, the second son of Trond Sorli Engen a ...

, skier, ski coach, ski area manager and filmmaker in America (born 1911) *10 April – Knut Andreas Knudsen, politician (born 1919) *12 April – Reidar Hirsti, newspaper editor and politician (born 1925) *24 April –

Gro Anita Schønn Gro Anita Schønn (28 January 1950 – 24 April 2001) was a Norwegian singer. Schønn was born in Drammen. She made her solo debut in 1967, and issued eight albums between 1970 and 1980. Among her song hits were ''En enkel sang om frihet'' f ...

, singer (born 1950). *26 April –

Sverre Walter Rostoft Sverre Walter Rostoft (12 December 1912 – 26 April 2001) was a Norwegian businessperson and politician for the Conservative Party. Early life and education He was born in Glemmen as a son of ship captain Georg Walter Andersen (1887–1952) an ...

, politician and Minister (born 1912) *7 May – Thor Støre, politician (born 1924) *19 May –

Vidkunn Hveding Vidkunn Hveding (27 March 1921 – 19 May 2001) was a Norwegian politician for the Conservative Party, and the Minister of Petroleum and Energy from 1981–1983. Hveding was born in Orkdal Municipality in Sør-Trøndelag county, and was a ci ...

, politician and Minister (born 1921) *27 May – Knut Myrstad, politician (born 1913) *5 June – Sigmund P. Haave, politician (born 1916) *14 June – Andreas Wormdahl, politician (born 1911)

July to December

*2 July – Fredrik Stabel, illustrator and satirical writer (born 1914). *15 July –

Helge Rognlien Helge Rognlien (14 January 1920 – 15 July 2001) was a Norwegian politician for the Liberal Party. He was born in Oslo. At the outbreak of World War II, Rognlien was a student at the University of Oslo. After the German occupation of Norway ...

, politician and Minister (born 1920) *21 July –

Gudmund Grytøyr Gudmund Grytøyr (born 15 July 1920 in Sør-Varanger Municipality died 21 July 2001) was a Norwegian politician for the Labour Party. He was elected to the Norwegian Parliament from Nordland in 1977, and was re-elected on one occasion. He had pr ...

, politician (born 1920) *24 July – Sven Olsen, politician (born 1922) *31 August –

Odd Steinar Holøs Odd Steinar Holøs (8 April 1922 – 31 August 2001) was a Norwegian politician for the Christian Democratic Party. He was born in Rakkestad. From 1956 to 1957 he was the chairman of the Youth of the Christian People's Party, the youth wing of t ...

, politician (born 1922) *6 September –

Dagny Hald Dagny Hald (17 April 1936 – 6 September 2001) was a Norwegian ceramist and illustrator. She was born in Bærum, the daughter of Axel Revold. She is represented with works at the National Gallery of Norway, at the Victoria and Albert Museum ...

, ceramist (born

1936 Events January–February * January 20 – The Prince of Wales succeeds to the throne of the United Kingdom as King Edward VIII, following the death of his father, George V, at Sandringham House. * January 28 – Death and state funer ...

). *12 October –

Gunnar Thorleif Hvashovd Gunnar Thorleif Hvashovd (born 24 January 1924 in Kongsberg, died 12 October 2001) was a Norwegian politician for the Labour Party. He was elected to the Norwegian Parliament from Buskerud in 1969 and was re-elected on two occasions. He had previ ...

, politician (born 1924) *27 October – Ellisiv Steen, literary scholar (b. 1908). *1 November – Engly Lie, politician (born 1919) *3 November –

Liv Paulsen Liv Paulsen (29 November 1925 – 3 November 2001) was a Norwegian 100 metres sprinter and shot putter. She represented ''IL Viking'' in Stavanger. She finished eighth in the shot put final at the 1946 European Championships with a throw of 10.37 ...

, sprinter and shot putter (born 1925). *8 November – Alf Hellevik, philologist (born 1909). *18 November – Roar Hauglid, art historian (born 1910). *1 December –

Olav Mosebekk Olav Mosebekk (13 September 1910 – 1 December 2001) was a Norwegian graphic artist, illustrator and painter. Biography He was born at Kongsberg in Buskerud, Norway. His parents were Ole Thorkelsen Mosebekk (Mosebæk) (1886–1972) and Marta ...

, illustrator and painter (born 1910). *10 December –

Knut Fægri Knut Fægri (17 July 1909 – 10 December 2001) was a Norwegian botanist and palaeoecologist. Fægri was born in Bergen. He was the son of Major Ole A. Fægri (1875–1962) and Gudrun Stoltz (1881–1940) and the nephew of the botanist, natura ...

, botanist (born 1909) *15 December – Leif Kolflaath, politician (born 1927) *19 December – Jakob Weidemann, painter (born 1923) *28 December –

Arne Rettedal Arne Rettedal (25 July 1926 – 28 December 2001) was a Norwegian engineer, businessperson and politician for the Conservative Party. He is best known as the Minister of Local Government and Labour from 1981 to 1986, mayor of Stavanger from 196 ...

, politician and Minister (born 1926)

Full date unknown

Odd Abrahamsen Odd Abrahamsen (20 May 1924 – 23 June 2001) was a Norwegian poet. He was born in Fredrikstad. Among his collections are ''Om det finnes en stillhet'' (1962), ''Nedslag'' (1971) and ''Makten skal tie'' (1944). He was awarded the Riksmål ...

, poet (born 1924) * Håkon Flood, professor of inorganic chemistry (born 1905) *

Henriette Bie Lorentzen Henriette Bie Lorentzen (18 July 1911 – 23 August 2001), born Anna Henriette Wegner Haagaas, was a Norwegian journalist, humanist, peace activist, feminist, co-founder of the Nansen Academy, resistance member and concentration camp survivor du ...

, humanist, peace activist, feminist and editor (born 1911) *

Anfinn Lund Annfinn Lund (5 April 1926 – 2001) was a Norwegian civil servant and politician for the Labour Party. He was born in Leka Municipality, and is a cand.jur. by education. He was employed at the Development Fund for Northern Norway, the predecess ...

, civil servant and politician (born 1926) *

Nils Slaatto Nils Slaatto (22 June 1922 – 16 March 2001) was for more than two decades one of Norway's most prominent and influential architects, having a strong and distinctive impression on Norwegian architecture. Slaatto cooperated with Kjell Lund in ...

, architect (born 1923)

References

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:2001 in Norway

Norway Norway, officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic countries, Nordic country located on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. The remote Arctic island of Jan Mayen and the archipelago of Svalbard also form part of the Kingdom of ...