History - Page 4 of 6 - thisisFINLAND

Finnish women contend for Winter Olympic medals

Slideshow: As Winter Olympic events opened to female participation in the early and mid-1900s, Finnish women athletes often acted as trailblazers. In Pyeongchang, South Korea in 2018, Finnish sportswomen continue to compete for top results, as they always have.

Arts & culture Webpick

Writer inspires not one, but two statues in the Finnish capital

Author and academic Zacharias Topelius is remembered for his poetry, prose and children’s stories. The year 2018 marks the 200th anniversary of his birth.

Arts & culture Visual arts

Modern women: Finnish art in an eventful era

Scandinavia House in New York formed the starting point for a show of four Finnish painters, all of them women, whose careers coincided with cultural and political transformations. The paintings later continued to Stockholm, and subsequently returned to Helsinki as part of a larger exhibition.

Life & society History

A Finnish hipster named Mannerheim

Although Mannerheim is one of the most famous figures in Finnish history, many people have no inkling of the details they may discover on a visit to his home.

Life & society Politics

Soldier then president, Mannerheim took Finland from war to peace

Carl Gustaf Emil Mannerheim became president in 1944, at a most unusual, utterly astonishing phase of Finland’s political history. June 4, 2017 marks the 150th anniversary of his birth.

Arts & culture Webpick

Calling all fans of the Finnish language

Hooray for Finnish, with all its grammatical glory and its endless supply of double vowels! April 9 is Finnish Language Day, and also commemorates Mikael Agricola, who is credited with creating the first written Finnish literature.

Arts & culture Literature

Runeberg: a patriotic 19th-century rapper

The work of Finland’s national poet, J.L. Runeberg, is often compared to that of the great European romantic poets. Nonetheless, many also know him because of a cake invented by his wife and later named after him.

Arts & culture Visual arts

An artist’s mark on the story of Finland

From political paintings to modern-day tattoos: We explore artist Akseli Gallen-Kallela’s great influence on Finnish society.