2008 in Denmark
The following lists events that happened during 2008 in Denmark.
Incumbents
- Monarch – Margrethe II
- Prime minister – Anders Fogh Rasmussen
Events
February
- 16 February – The Royal Playhouse on Copenhagen's waterfront is inaugurated with the play Hamlet, featuring Nicolas Bro in the title role.
May
- 1 May – Han Kjøbenhavn is founded.
- 24 May – Prince Joachim marries Marie Cavallier in Møgeltønder.
June
- 2 June – A suicide bomber strikes outside the Danish embassy in the Pakistani capital Islamabad with at least eight people dead.
- 4 June – al-Qaeda claims responsibility for the 2008 Danish embassy bombing stating it was revenge for the Jyllands-Posten Muhammad cartoons controversy.
October
- Realfiction company is founded in Copenhagen.
Date unknown
- The 25 øre coin is demonetised as the lowest-denomination coin in the country. It has been in circulation since 1874, when it was introduced on the decimalisation of the krone.
The arts
Architecture
- 27 June – Lundgaard & Tranberg's Royal Playhouse in Copenhagen wins a 2008 RIBA European Award at the Royal Institute of British Architects' annual awards ceremony in London.
- 23 October – Schmidt hammer lassen's Performers House in Silkeborg wins the Grand Prix at the 5th LEAF Awards in London.
Film
- September – Per Fly's film Manslaughter wins the 2005 Nordic Council Film Prize.
Media
- 8 February – Erik Refner from Berlingske Tidende wins 1st prize in the Sports Features Stories category in the 51st World Press Photo Contest for a photo series of exhausted runners in Copenhagen Marathon.
Music
- 19 November – MGP Nordic 2008 is held in Århus.
Sport
- 8–24 August – Denmark participates at the Summer Olympics in Beijing, China: two gold medals, two silver medals, two bronze medals.
Badminton
- 20 January Tine Baun wins gold in women's single at the 2008 Malaysia Super Series.
- 9 March – Tine Rasmussen wins gold in women's singles at the All England Open badminton tournament.
- 16–20 April – The 21st European Badminton Championships are arranged in Herning, Denmark. With three gold medals, three silver medals and two bronze medals, Denmark finishes as the best nation.
- 26 October Peter Gade wins gold in men's single at the 2008 Denmark Super Series.
- 2 November Peter Gade wins gold in men's single at the 2008 French Super Series.
Cycling
- 5 February Franco Marvulli and Bruno Risi win the Six Days of Copenhagen six-day track cycling race.
Football
- 1 May – Brøndby IF wins the 2007–08 Danish Cup by defeating Esbjerg fB 3–2 in the final.
- 6 September – Denmark draws 0–0 in an away game against Hungary in 2010 FIFA [World Cup qualification – UEFA Group 1|Group 1] of the 2010 FIFA [World Cup qualification].
- 10 September – Denmark defeats Portugal 3–2 in Lisbon in the second round of World Cup qualification.
- 11 October – Denmark defeats Malta 3–0 at Parken Stadium, Copenhagen, in the third round of qualification.
Handball
- 27 January – Denmark wins the 2008 European Men's Handball Championship, arranged in Norway, after defeating Croatia in the final.
Motorsports
- 19 July – Denmark wins the 2008 Speedway World Cup final in Vojens, Denmark.
- 18 October – Nicki Pedersen becomes world champion in speedway by winning the 2008 Speedway Grand Prix series.
Other
- 13–24 March Lotte Friis wins a bronze medal in 1,500 m freestyle at the 2008 European Aquatics Championships.
- 8 June – Matti Breschel wins the Philadelphia International Championship in cycle racing.
- 15 June – Tom Kristensen wins Le Mans for the 8th time when he wins the 2008 24 Hours of Le Mans with Audi Sport North America.
- 29 September – Matti Breschel wins bronze in men's road race at the 2008 UCI Road World Championships in Italy.
- 2 November – Søren Kjeldsen wins the 21st and final Volvo Masters at Valderrama Golf Club in Andalucia at eight under par.
Births
- 29 June – Prince Aristidis-Stavros of Greece and Denmark, youngest child of Pavlos, Crown Prince of Greece, and Marie-Chantal, Crown Princess of Greece
Deaths
- 16 January – Otto Steen Due, classical philologist
- 10 February – Inga Nielsen, opera singer
- 26 February – Bodil Udsen, actress
- 28 February – Ove Guldberg, politician
- 27 March – Hans Chr. Ægidius, actor, writer and filmmaker
- 29 March – Mette Koefoed Bjørnsen, author, conciliator and economist
- 29 April – Claus Nissen, actor
- 11 May – Ole Fritsen, footballer
- 21 May – Ernst Meyer, actor
- 1 July – Mogens Glistrup, politician
- 5 July – Thomas Winding, author, radiohost and television producer
- 10 July – Jakob Ejersbo, journalist and author
- 16 August – Otto Leisner, television presenter
- 11 September – Preben Møller Hansen, writer, cook, politician, and trade unionist
- 20 September – Kamilla Bech Holten, television presenter and actress
- 1 November – Eric Danielsen, news anchor
- 16 November – Hilmer Hassig, musician
- 28 November – Jørn Utzon, architect