Finland

Republic of Finland
Flag
Location  Europe
Capital  Helsinki
Area  338,145 sq km
Population  5,537,364

"A rolling stone gathers no moss"
(Proverb/Quote of the Week)

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January

January 1 Finland joined the European Union (EU), an economic and political union of European countries, on 1 January 1995. January 2 Finland on 2 January 2017 became the first country in Europe to pay its unemployed citizens a basic monthly income of €560 for two years. The purpose of the two-year experiment is to see if a basic income can help to boost employment. January 3 January 4 January 5 Finland defeated the United States 3-2 to win gold at the 2019 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships in Canada. Finland won the 2014 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships defeating host team Sweden 3–2 in the final. The tally gave Finland its first gold medal at the tournament since 1998 and first medal since a bronze in 2006. January 6 January 7 January 8 January 9 January 10 January 11 January 12 January 13 Finland had the second highest proportions (29.9%) of women in corporate boardrooms in 2014, according to a study of major economies published on 13 January 2015 by the New York based organization Catalyst Inc. January 14 January 15 Finnish professional tennis player Jarkko Nieminen won the 2012 Apia International Sydney Tennis Tournament - Men's Singles on 15 January 2012 against Frenchman Julien Benneteau, 6-2 7-5, in a rain-interrupted match. January 16 January 17 January 18 January 19 January 20 January 21 January 22 Finland ranked fifth in the list of Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) Democracy Index with an overall score of 9.25 published on 22 January 2020, which rates the state of democracy across 167 countries based on five measures—electoral process and pluralism, the functioning of government, political participation, democratic political culture and civil liberties. January 23 Finland was crowned as the greenest country in the world according to the Environmental Performance Index (EPI) 2016 published by Yale University, Columbia University and the World Economic Forum. The EPI index ranks the performance of each nation in protection of human health from environmental harm and protection of ecosystems based on nine assessment areas that include air quality, climate and energy, forests and water resources. January 24 January 25 Finland ranked as the second least corrupt nation in the world, according to the Global Corruption Index published by Transparency International on 25 January 2017. January 26 January 27 Finland is the second-least corrupt country in the world according to Transparency International’s Corruption Perceptions Index published on 27 January 2016. January 28 Finnish Henri Kontinen and Australian John Peers were crowned men's doubles' champions at the Australian Open tennis beating American pair Bob and Mike Bryan 7-5 7-5 on 28 January 2017. January 29 Finland was ranked as the third least corrupt nation in the world according to the Transparency International’s corruption perception index (CPI) published on 29 January 2019. Researchers at Aalto University, Finland and Amherst College, USA have created and photographed synthetic magnetic monopoles under laboratory conditions. They described their breakthrough to simulate Magnet with single pole in Nature journal on 29 January 2014. January 30 January 31

February

February 1 February 2 February 3 February 4 February 5 February 6 February 7 February 8 February 9 Finnish Professor Bjarne Udd was honoured with the German Duchenne-Erb-Preis Science Award 2017 for his extensive research into neuromuscular diseases. February 10 February 11 February 12 February 13 February 14 February 15 Finland ranked fourth in the world on how effectively children can access the justice system to defend their rights, according to a research report released on 15 February 2016 by Children Rights International Network (CRIN). February 16 February 17 February 18 Finnish film director Aki Kaurismäki won the Silver Bear for Best Director for his film The Other Side of Hope at the 67th Berlin International Film Festival on 18 February 2017. February 19 Finland won Gold in Men's Team Sprint Classic at the 2014 Sochi Olympic Winter Games. February 20 Finland ranked as the world’s fourth safest country for the newborn with fourth lowest newborn mortality rates, according to an official report published by UNICEF on 20 February 2018. February 21 Finland ranked as the third least corrupt country in the world according to Transparency International’s Corruption Perceptions Index published on 21 February 2018. February 22 February 23 February 24 Finnish passport ranked third at the Henley & Partners Visa Restrictions Index 2016, allowing its citizens visa-free access to 175 countries. February 25 February 26 February 27 February 28 Finnish computer game developer Rovio's Angry Birds game was awarded the Best Mobile App for Consumers at the 17th Mobile World Congress on 28 February 2012. February 29

March

March 1 Finnish passport was ranked as the world’s sixth most valuable by the Nomad Passport Index 2017, assessed based on visa-free travel, taxation, perception, dual citizenship and overall freedom. Tarja Kaarina Halonen, Finland's 11th President, assumed office as Finland's first woman President on 1 March 2000. March 2 March 3 March 4 March 5 March 6 March 7 March 8 March 9 March 10 Ilkka Tuomisto of Finland won silver at the 2014 Paralympic Winter Games in Men's 20km Classic - Standing. March 11 March 12 Finnish scientists were awarded 3 research grants by the European Research Council (ERC) on 12 March 2015 as part of the European Union Research and Innovation programme Horizon 2020. March 13 March 14 March 15 Finland was ranked as the world's happiest country according to the annual UN report released on 15 March 2018. Finnish novelist and playwright Sofi Oksanen was named the winner of the 2013 Swedish Academy Nordic Prize. Sofi became the first Finnish woman to win the Swedish Academy's prize. March 16 Finland ranked as the fifth happiest country in the world according to the 2016 United Nations (UN) World Happiness Report. March 17 Finnish racing driver Valtteri Bottas won the Formula One Australian Grand Prix for Mercedes at Albert Park on 17 March 2019. Finnish racing driver Kimi Räikkönen won Formula One's season-opening Australian Grand Prix on 17 March 2013 in 1 hour 30 minutes 3.225 seconds. March 18 March 19 March 20 Finland was crowned as the happiest place to live for the second year in a row according to the UN's seventh annual World Happiness Report published on 20 March 2019. Finland was ranked as the fifth happiest country on Earth, according to a United Nations Sustainable Development Solutions Network report published on 20 March 2017. A team of astronomers from Finland, Germany, Australia and Switzerland discovered a highly unusual galaxy in the shape of an emerald-cut diamond roughly 70 million light years away. The discovery was published on 20 March 2012 in The Astrophysical Journal. March 21 March 22 Finnair officially awarded the 4-Star Airline ranking for 2012 by SKYTRAX , the independent, global airline rating organization. This 4-Star Airline ranking recognized the continued improvement in Finnair onboard product and service, together with many changes to airport product and service levels. March 23 March 24 March 25 Finland ranked fourth at the 2019 Energy Transition Index (ETI) published by World Economic Forum (WEF) on 25 March 2019, which indicates how well countries around the world are able to balance energy security and environmental sustainability and affordability. March 26 March 27 March 28 March 29 March 30 March 31 Finnish artist Eija-Liisa Ahtila was announced as the winner of the 2006 Artes Mundi Prize for her films and still photographs that have told stories of human relationships and the elementary emotions that underlie these relationships.

April

April 1 April 2 April 3 April 4 April 5 April 6 April 7 April 8 April 9 April 10 April 11 April 12 April 13 April 14 April 15 Finnish university LUT University (Lappeenranta-Lahti University of Technology LUT) won the International Sustainability Campus Network (ICSN) Award for Partnerships for Progress for their inspiring initiative for science. April 16 April 17 Anneli Tuulikki Jäätteenmäki was the first female Prime Minister of Finland. She held the post of Prime Minister from April 17, 2003 to June 18, 2003. April 18 Finland took the second spot at the 2019 World Press Freedom Index, which evaluates the state of journalism in 180 countries and territories every year, published by Reporters Without Borders. April 19 Finnish-American software engineer Linus Torvalds was named joint winner of the 2012 Millennium Technology Prize in recognition of his creation of a new open source operating system for computers leading to the widely used Linux kernel. The award is one of the largest technology prizes in the world and is awarded once every two years by Technology Academy Finland. April 20 Finland retained its top spot at the 2016 Reporters Without Borders’ World Press Freedom Index for the sixth consecutive year. The Index is based on an evaluation of media freedom that measures pluralism, media independence, the quality of the legal framework and the safety of journalists in 180 countries. April 21 April 22 April 23 April 24 Finnish contemporary writer Sofi Oksanen was awarded the Budapest Grand Prize at the International Book Festival of Budapest on 24 April 2014. April 25 April 26 Finland ranked third at the 2017 Press Freedom Index, ranking freedom of the media in a country, compiled by Reporters Without Borders. April 27 April 28 April 29 April 30

May

May 1 May 2 May 3 May 4 May 5 May 6 May 7 May 8 May 9 May 10 May 11 May 12 May 13 Finland placed 6th in the global school ranking published by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), as revealed on 13 May 2015. May 14 May 15 May 16 May 17 May 18 May 19 May 20 May 21 May 22 May 23 May 24 May 25 May 26 Finland came from behind to beat favourites Canada 3-1 and won the 2019 Ice Hockey World Championship in Slovakia. It is Finland's third world title, having also won the competition in 1995 and 2011. May 27 May 28 May 29 May 30 May 31

June

June 1 Smoking was banned in Finland's bars and restaurants since 1 June 2007. However smoking is still allowed in enclosed smoking booths. Finland already banned smoking in public places in 1977 and in workplaces in 1995, leaving bars and restaurants as the only sanctuary until 2007. June 2 June 3 June 4 June 5 June 6 June 7 Finland was ranked as the fourth safest country in the world according to the annual Gallup Global Law and Order report published on 7 June 2018. Mendor Ltd, a Finnish diabetes technology start-up was awarded the international TiE50 technology prize in 2012 for its innovations in the field of advanced diabetes management, combining new user friendly design and technology to address the needs of those affected by diabetes. June 8 June 9 June 10 June 11 June 12 June 13 June 14 June 15 June 16 June 17 Finland ranked as the sixth most peaceful country in the world at the 2015 Global Peace Index published by Institute for Economics & Peace. June 18 June 19 June 20 June 21 June 22 Mari Kiviniemi, a Finnish politician, was elected as the second female Prime Minister of Finland on June 22, 2010. June 23 Finland successfully launched a satellite on board the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle PSLV-C38 powered by Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) on 23 June 2017. June 24 June 25 June 26 June 27 Scientists from Finland and their international colleagues have discovered a new species of spider with a red-and-white pattern that is similar to the makeup worn by the infamous Batman villain, the Joker. The 0.3-inch long spider, discussed in the journal Arthropoda Selecta on 27 June 2020, was given the name, Loureedia phoenixi. June 28 June 29 Armi Kuusela from Finland was crowned Miss Universe, an annual international beauty contest run by the Miss Universe Organization, on June 29, 1952. Kuusela won the title at the age of 17. She was the first ever Miss Universe of the world. June 30

July

July 1 July 2 July 3 July 4 July 5 July 6 July 7 July 8 July 9 For the first time, researchers at Aalto University in Finland have located where the sounds associated with the Northern Lights are created. The auroral sounds that have been described in folktales and by wilderness wanderers are formed about 70 meters above the ground level in the measured case. The study was published in the proceedings of the 19th International Congress on Sound and Vibration held in Vilnius, Lithuania from 8 to 12 July 2012. July 10 Finnish and British duo Henri Kontinen and Heather Watson won the 2016 Wimbledon mixed doubles tennis beating Colombian Robert Farah and Anna-Lena Groenefeld of Germany 7-6(5), 6-4 for their first Grand Slam title. July 11 July 12 July 13 July 14 Finland was named Europe’s third most innovative country, according to the European Commission ranking published on 14 July 2016. July 15 Finnish company Uniqul has developed the world's first payment system which recognizes customers' faces and helps them pay without having a wallet, credit card or mobile phone, according to an official announcement on 15 July 2013. Customers using the system need only click "OK" on the company's tablet when shopping or paying for products. In the background, biometrical data is processed to find the customers' account in the company's database. July 16 The Finland robotics team won a gold medal in the Global Challenge category at the FIRST Global robotics competition in Washington DC on 16 July 2017. July 17 July 18 July 19 Finland ranked sixth at the 2018 United Nations (UN) E-Government Survey, which measures countries’ use of information and communications technologies to deliver public services. Anne Marie Pohtamo from Finland won the 1975 Miss Universe crown on July 19, 1975. It was Finland's second Miss Universe title. Finland was the proud organizer of the 1952 Summer Olympic Games. The games were held in Helsinki, Finland from 19 July to 03 August, 1952. July 20 July 21 July 22 July 23 July 24 July 25 July 26 July 27 July 28 July 29 July 30 July 31

August

August 1 August 2 August 3 August 4 August 5 August 6 August 7 August 8 August 9 August 10 August 11 August 12 August 13 August 14 August 15 Finland ranked fifth at the 2016 Global Innovation Index, released on 15 August 2016 by Cornell University, INSEAD and the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), that ranks countries based on their capacities and results for innovation. August 16 August 17 August 18 August 19 August 20 August 21 August 22 August 23 August 24 August 25 August 26 August 27 August 28 August 29 August 30 August 31

September

September 1 September 2 Finnish and English scientists have created renewable clean propane from the intestine bacterium Escherichia coli, paving the way for future research into alternatives fuels capable of replacing traditional and carbon-intensive sources of power. Their study was published in Nature Communications on 2 September 2014. September 3 Finland ranked fourth most competitive economy, according to the World Economic Forum’s Global Competitiveness Report 2014–15 published on 3 September 2014. September 4 September 5 September 6 September 7 September 8 September 9 September 10 September 11 September 12 Peerage of Science, a web service for the submission and peer review of scientific manuscripts created by researchers at the University of Jyväskylä, Finland, was announced as the winner of the Association of Learned and Professional Society Publishers (ALPSP) Award for Publishing Innovation 2012. September 13 September 14 September 15 Finland ranked as the 8th most democratic country in the world according to the Democracy Index 2014 published by the Economist on 15 September 2015. September 16 September 17 Leo Pekka Tahti of Finland won Men's 100m - T54 - sprint gold at the 2016 Rio Paralympics in Brazil. September 18 September 19 September 20 September 21 September 22 September 23 September 24 September 25 September 26 September 27 September 28 September 29 September 30 Finland ranked as the 8th most competitive country in the world, according to a World Economic Forum report released on 30 September 2015. This report, provides insight into the drivers of a country’s productivity and prosperity, suggests Finland has been nurturing innovation and talent.

October

October 1 Janne Taalas, Deputy Permanent Representative of Finland to the United Nations, was elected Chair of the Fifth Committee at the General Assembly of the United Nations on 1 October 2013. The Fifth Committee is one of six main committees at the General Assembly which deals with Administrative and Budgetary matters. October 2 October 3 October 4 October 5 October 6 October 7 Finnish scientists have used new data which indicates that the Earth’s inner core was formed 1 – 1.5 billion years ago as it “froze” from the surrounding molten iron outer core, as published in Nature on 7 October 2015. October 8 October 9 October 10 Finnish economist Bengt Holmström jointly won the 2016 Nobel Prize in Economics for his contributions to contract theory while working for Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). Finland's Nokia on 10 October 2014 signed a framework agreement with China Mobile, the world's largest wireless operator, for mobile communication equipment and services worth $970 million to be delivered during 2014 and 2015. The Norwegian Nobel Committee awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for 2008 to Finnish politician Martti Ahtisaari for his important efforts, on several continents and over more than three decades, to resolve international conflicts. October 11 Finland clinched the second spot on the 2016 Girls’ Opportunity Index released by Save the Children, a global index that provides a snapshot of the situation of girls in respective countries according to their opportunity to control their own lives and to fulfill their potential. October 12 October 13 October 14 The United Nations on 14 October 2015 announced the appointment of Laura Londén of Finland as Assistant Secretary-General and Deputy Executive Director (Management) of the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA). Marita Lindahl from Finland won the seventh annual Miss World pageant on October 14, 1957. Lindahl was the first woman to win the title from Finland. October 15 October 16 October 17 October 18 October 19 October 20 October 21 October 22 October 23 October 24 October 25 October 26 October 27 October 28 According to the Global Gender Gap Report 2014 by the World Economic Forum, Finland ranked second. The report seeks to measure the relative gaps between women and men participations across four key areas: health, education, economy and politics. October 29 October 30 October 31

November

November 1 Finland was named as the most positive country from Europe at the World’s Most Positive Countries 2015. November 2 Finland was ranked as the world‘s third most gender-equal country, according to the World Economic Forum‘s Global Gender Gap index published on 2 November 2017. November 3 Finland took the third place at the Legatum Prosperity Index 2016, making it as one of the best places in the world to live. November 4 Finnish Formula One racing driver Kimi Raikkonen won the 2012 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix and returned to the top of the Formula One podium for the first time since 2009. November 5 November 6 November 7 An international team of astronomers, including researcher from the University of Turku, Finland, has discovered what they are calling a new “super-Earth,” which is seven times the size of Earth and has the right conditions to support life. Their research findings were published on 7 November 2012 in the Journal Astronomy and Astrophysics. November 8 November 9 November 10 November 11 November 12 November 13 Two Finnish companies Eniram Ltd, which delivers marine energy management technology to reduce fuel consumption and emissions, and The Switch, a leading supplier of permanent magnet generators and full-power converters for wind and solar power applications, won the Global Cleantech Cluster Association's Later Stage Award 2012. November 14 November 15 November 16 November 17 November 18 November 19 November 20 November 21 November 22 November 23 November 24 November 25 November 26 November 27 November 28 November 29 November 30

December

December 1 December 2 December 3 December 4 December 5 December 6 Finland secured the fifth position at the 2016 Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) global education survey, which evaluates the quality, equity and efficiency of school systems. December 7 December 8 December 9 December 10 Finnish Prime Minister Jyrki Katainen and Estonian Prime Minister Andrus Ansip on 10 December 2013 sat down at their respective desks in Helsinki and Tallinn and concluded the world’s first known digitally signed intergovernmental agreement focusing on common development of e-services. Dr. Liisa Kauppinen of Finland has been a ‘voice’ for the human rights of deaf people since 1970 received the 2013 United Nations Human Rights Prize. December 11 Finland won the 2010 World Floorball Championship on 11 December 2010 beating Sweden 6–2 (2–0, 1–1, 3–1). The 2010 championship of floorball, a type of indoor floor hockey team sport, was proudly hosted by Finland. December 12 Finland’s capital Helsinki topped the global travel list for 2017, published by Fodor’s travel agency on 12 December 2016. Finnish shipyard Archtec launched Baltika, the first-ever sideways operating icegoing vessel, on 12 December 2013. December 13 December 14 Finland was admitted as a member of the United Nations (UN) on 14 December 1955. December 15 Scientists in Finland have developed what they believe is the world's first vaccine to protect bees against disease, raising hopes for tackling the drastic decline in insect numbers which could cause a global food crisis, as publicised on 15 December 2018. December 16 December 17 December 18 December 19 December 20 December 21 December 22 December 23 December 24 December 25 December 26 December 27 December 28 December 29 December 30 December 31

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