History of Finland in Timeline
Finland is a Nordic country in Northern Europe, bordering Sweden, Norway, and Russia. Its capital and largest city is Helsinki. The official languages are Finnish and Swedish. The majority of the population is ethnic Finns. The climate ranges from humid continental in the south to boreal in the north. The landscape is primarily boreal forest and includes over 180,000 lakes.
2 hours ago : Finland Urges US Military Presence Amidst Putin's Actions and Baltic Security Concerns
Finland is appealing to the U.S. to maintain its military equipment in Europe, amidst concerns from Eastern allies regarding Putin's assertive behavior and potential security risks tied to U.S. Baltic security cuts and airspace incursions.
1900: Finnic Languages Spread
Around 1900 BC, an early form of Finnic languages spread to the Baltic Sea region.
1905: Russification Suspended
In 1905, the policy of Russification was suspended.
1906: Finland Grants Universal Suffrage
In 1906, Finland became the first country in Europe to grant universal suffrage, and the first in the world to give all adult citizens the right to run for public office.
1906: Universal Suffrage Introduced
In 1906, universal suffrage was introduced in the Grand Duchy of Finland.
1908: Finland at the Olympic Games
Finland first participated as a nation in its own right at the Olympic Games in 1908.
1908: Russification Resumed
In 1908, the policy of Russification resumed.
1912: Summer Olympics
At the 1912 Summer Olympics, three gold medals were won by Hannes Kolehmainen.
December 1917: Declaration of Independence
In December 1917, the right-wing government presented the Declaration of Independence on 4 December, which was officially approved by the Finnish Parliament on 6 December.
1917: Finland's Position Questioned
After the February Revolution of 1917, Finland's position as a Grand Duchy under the rule of the Russian Empire was questioned.
1917: Russian Empire Pursued Russification
From 1869 to 1917, the Russian Empire pursued a policy of Russification.
1917: Finland Gained Independence
In 1917, after Finland gained independence, religious freedom was declared in the constitution.
1917: Population of Finland
In 1917, there were three million people in the country.
1917: End of Swedish Era
In 1917, this situation of being an autonomous grand duchy continued until the end of 1917.
January 1918: Recognition of Independence
In January 1918, the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic (RSFSR), led by Vladimir Lenin, was the first country to recognise Finland's independence on 4 January.
January 1918: Government Disarms Russian Forces
On 27 January 1918, the government began to disarm the Russian forces in Ostrobothnia, marking a key event leading to civil war.
July 1919: Ståhlberg Elected as President
On 25 July 1919, K. J. Ståhlberg was elected as the first president of Finland.
1919: Finland's Status as a Republic Confirmed
In 1919, Finland's status as a republic was confirmed.
1919: Constitution of Finland
Religious freedom was declared in the constitution of 1919, after Finland gained independence.
1920: Kinship Wars Strained Relations
In 1918–1920, the activist expeditions to Soviet Russia, known as the "Kinship Wars", strained relations with the East.
1920: Finnish-Russian Border Established
In 1920, the Finnish-Russian border was established by the Treaty of Tartu.
1921: Paavo Nurmi Sets World Records
Between 1921 and 1931, Paavo Nurmi set 22 official world records.
1922: Law on Religious Freedom
A separate law on religious freedom was established in 1922. Through this arrangement, the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland gained a constitutional status as a national church alongside the Finnish Orthodox Church.
1926: Miina Sillanpää becomes First Female Minister
In 1926, Miina Sillanpää became the first female minister in Finnish history in Väinö Tanner's cabinet in 1926–1927.
1927: Miina Sillanpää serves as First Female Minister
In 1927, Miina Sillanpää served as the first female minister in Finnish history in Väinö Tanner's cabinet in 1926–1927.
1931: Paavo Nurmi Sets World Records
Between 1921 and 1931, Paavo Nurmi set 22 official world records.
1938: War Reparations
Finland was forced to pay war reparations initially set at $300 million in 1938 prices, later adjusted to $226.5 million.
August 1939: Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact Signed
On 23 August 1939, the Soviet Union and Nazi Germany signed the Molotov–Ribbentrop Pact.
November 1939: Soviet Union Launches Winter War
On 30 November 1939, in accordance with the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact, the Soviet Union launched the Winter War in order to annex Finland.
1939: Nobel Prize in Literature
In 1939, Frans Eemil Sillanpää was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature.
June 1941: Continuation War Resumed
Hostilities resumed in June 1941 with the Continuation War, when Finland allied itself with Germany following the latter's invasion of the Soviet Union.
1944: Evacuations from Karelia
Between 1939 and 1944, some 400,000 people were evacuated from Karelia.
1944: Treaty Signed With Soviet Union
The Armistice and treaty signed with the Soviet Union in 1944 included Finnish obligations, restraints, and reparations, as well as further territorial concessions.
1944: Soviet Offensive in Summer of 1944
The massive Soviet Vyborg–Petrozavodsk offensive in the summer of 1944 led to a breakthrough until the Finns finally repulsed it at Tali–Ihantala.
1945: Lapland War
The Lapland War of 1944–1945 was when Finland fought retreating German forces in northern Finland.
1947: Baby Boom Peak
In 1947, the average number of births per woman reached a baby boom peak of 3.5.
1948: Treaty Signed With Soviet Union
The Armistice and treaty signed with the Soviet Union in 1948 included Finnish obligations, restraints, and reparations, as well as further territorial concessions.
1950: Employment in Agriculture
In 1950, 46% of Finnish workers were employed in agriculture.
1952: The White Reindeer film
In 1952, The White Reindeer, directed by Erik Blomberg, was released.
1952: Summer Olympics in Helsinki
The 1952 Summer Olympics were held in Helsinki.
1955: Release of The Unknown Soldier
In 1955, The Unknown Soldier, directed by Edvin Laine, was released.
1956: Kekkonen's Monopoly on Relations with Soviet Union
From 1956 President Urho Kekkonen had a virtual monopoly on relations with the Soviet Union, which was crucial to his continued popularity.
1956: Golden Globe Award for The White Reindeer
In 1956, The White Reindeer won the Golden Globe Award for Best Foreign Film.
1960: Release of Inspector Palmu's Mistake
A 1960 crime comedy film Inspector Palmu's Mistake, directed by Matti Kassila, was released.
1968: Release of Here, Beneath the North Star
Here, Beneath the North Star was released in 1968 and is considered one of the most significant works in Finnish history.
1969: Fertility Rate Below Replacement
Since 1969, the fertility rate in Finland has been below the replacement rate of 2.1 children born per woman.
1973: Treaty with the EEC
In 1973, Finland negotiated a treaty with the European Economic Community (EEC) that reduced tariffs, enhancing trade relations.
1973: Birth Rate Decline
In 1973, the average number of births per woman fell to 1.5.
1975: Finland's GDP Per Capita
By 1975, Finland's GDP per capita was the 15th highest in the world.
1984: Release of Uuno Turhapuro in the Army
In 1984, the comedy film Uuno Turhapuro in the Army was released.
1993: Recession Bottomed Out
In 1993, the recession bottomed out and Finland enjoyed more than a decade of steady economic growth.
1995: Finland Joined the European Union
In 1995, Finland joined the European Union.
2000: Common Finnic Language Spoken
Approximately 2000 years ago, the Common Finnic language was spoken around the Gulf of Finland.
2000: Tarja Halonen Elected President
In the 2000 Presidential election, the Finnish people elected Tarja Halonen, making her the first female President of Finland.
2002: The Man Without a Past achievements
In 2002, The Man Without a Past, directed by Aki Kaurismäki, was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film and won the Grand Prix at the Cannes Film Festival.
2005: Scientific Publications
In 2005, Finland had the fourth most scientific publications per capita of the OECD countries.
2006: Finland wins Eurovision
In 2006, Lordi won the Eurovision Song Contest with the song ''Hard Rock Hallelujah''.
2007: Patents Filed in Finland
In 2007, 1,801 patents were filed in Finland.
2008: ISSP survey on religiosity
According to ISSP survey data from 2008, 8% of Finns considered themselves highly religious, 31% moderately religious, 28% agnostic, and 29% non-religious.
2008: Financial Crisis and Nobel Peace Prize
In 2008, The 2008 financial crisis paralysed Finland's exports and President Martti Ahtisaari later won the Nobel Peace Prize.
2010: Eurobarometer poll on beliefs
According to a 2010 Eurobarometer poll, 33% of Finnish citizens believed in God, 42% believed in some sort of spirit or life force, and 22% did not believe in any sort of spirit, God, or life force.
2011: Stillbirth Rate
A 2011 study published in The Lancet medical journal found that Finland had the lowest stillbirth rate out of 193 countries.
April 2012: Gross National Happiness Ranking
In April 2012, Finland was ranked second in Gross National Happiness in a report published by The Earth Institute.
2012: Confirmation rates in Finland
In 2012, 82.3% of Finnish children were confirmed at the age of 15.
2012: Best Finnish film of all time
In 2012, A 1960 crime comedy film Inspector Palmu's Mistake, directed by Matti Kassila, was voted the best Finnish film of all time by Finnish film critics and journalists.
2012: Sauli Niinistö Elected President
In 2012, Sauli Niinistö was elected President of Finland.
2015: The Fencer Nomination
In 2015, The Fencer, directed by Klaus Härö, was nominated for the 73rd Golden Globe Awards in the Best Foreign Language Film category.
2015: Suicide rates in Finland
In 2015, the suicide rates in Finland were 13 per 100,000 without age standardization.
2016: Baptism rates in Finland
In 2016, 69.3% of Finnish children were baptized.
2016: Muslim population in Finland
In 2016, The Pew Research Center estimated the Muslim population in Finland at 2.7%.
2017: Religious Affiliation in Finland
In 2017, 26.3% of the Finnish population had no religious affiliation.
2017: Tourism in Finland
In 2017, tourism in Finland grossed approximately €15.0 billion, with €4.6 billion coming from foreign tourism. There were 15.2 million overnight stays by domestic tourists and 6.7 million by foreign tourists. Tourism contributed roughly 2.7% to Finland's GDP in 2017.
2018: Happiest Country
Since 2018, Finland has ranked as the happiest country in the annual World Happiness Report by the United Nations.
2019: Newspaper Circulation
As of 2019, the largest newspaper in Finland is Helsingin Sanomat, with a circulation of 339,437.
2019: Baptism rates decline
By 2019, the baptism rate had declined to around 62% of Finnish children.
2019: World's Greatest Living Composer
Kaija Saariaho was ranked the world's greatest living composer in a 2019 composers' poll.
May 2022: Finland Signs Security Pact
In May 2022, Finland signed a mutual security pact with the United Kingdom and called for NATO membership.
2022: Under-Five Mortality Rate
In 2022, the under-five mortality rate in Finland was 2.3 per 1,000 live births.
April 2023: Finland Becomes Member of NATO
On April 4, 2023, Finland became a member of NATO.
2023: Life Expectancy and Fertility Rate in Finland
In 2023, the life expectancy in Finland was 79 years for men and 84.2 years for women. The fertility rate in 2023 stood at 1.26 children born per woman, the mean age at first live birth being 30.3.
2023: Finland places second in Eurovision
The Finnish pop artist Käärijä got second place in the Eurovision Song Contest in 2023 with his worldwide hit song ''Cha Cha Cha''.
2024: Religious Affiliation in Finland
As of 2024, 62.2% of Finns were members of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland. The second largest group had no religious affiliation.
2024: Official languages of Finland
As of 2024, Finnish was the native language of 84.1% of the population, making it the predominant language nationwide. Swedish is spoken in some coastal areas and in the autonomous region of Åland. Finnish is one of the four official EU languages not of Indo-European origin.
2024: Common foreign languages in Finland
As of 2024, the most common foreign languages spoken in Finland are Russian (1.8%), Estonian (0.9%), Arabic (0.8%), Ukrainian (0.7%), and English (0.7%).
2024: Finland's immigrant population
As of 2024, there were 623,949 people with a foreign background living in Finland, which is 11.1% of the population. Most of them came from the former Soviet Union, Estonia, Iraq, Somalia, Ukraine, China and India. Also as of 2024, 10.3% of the Finnish population were foreign born.
2024: Alexander Stubb Took Over as President
In 2024, Alexander Stubb took over as President of Finland.
2025: University of Helsinki Ranking
The University of Helsinki is ranked 117th in the Top University Ranking of 2025.
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