2009 in Norway

Events in the year 2009 in Norway.

Incumbents

Monarch – Harald V
Prime Minister – Jens Stoltenberg

Events

January

1 January:
Same-sex marriage became legal in Norway when a gender neutral marriage bill was enacted after being passed by the Norwegian legislature in June 2008. Norway became the first Scandinavian country and the sixth country in the world to legalize same-sex marriage.
A new Norwegian prostitution law bans the buying of sexual favours rather than selling.

March

10 March – Varg Vikernes is released on parole having served almost 16 years of a 21 years sentence for murder.

July

31 July – Full City oil spill: the Panama-flagged bulk carrier, Full City, operated by COSCO, experienced engine failure and ran aground near Langesund, Telemark, Norway during a storm, spilling 200 tons of heavy bunker fuel oil in a sensitive wildlife area.

September

14 September – The 2009 Parliamentary election takes place. Although the opposition received more votes, the governing Red-Green Coalition obtained more seats in parliament. This allowed Jens Stoltenberg to continue as prime minister.

December

9 December – The Norwegian spiral anomaly initially shook thousands of witnesses in Northern Norway, as well as people across the globe, when what was later explained as a misfired Russian missile caused a spectacular light formation in the sky. The phenomenon was observed in the dark morning sky from Trøndelag through Finnmark.
10 December – The 2009 Nobel Peace Prize was awarded to U.S. President Barack Obama in Oslo.

Full date unknown

InFiber, a Norwegian telecommunication company is founded.

Popular culture

Music

16 May – Norway wins the Eurovision Song Contest 2009 with the song Fairytale performed by Alexander Rybak, with a record-breaking 387 points.

Sports

29 January – Norway wins the ninth place match at the 2009 World Men's Handball Championship, having been eliminated in the main round.
Norway win the European Women's U-19 Handball Championship.
Karoline Bjerkeli Grøvdal wins two gold medals at the 2009 European Athletics Junior Championships.
9 July – Thor Hushovd wins Stage 6 of the 2009 Tour de France, and eventually wins the green jersey.
18 July – Christina Vukicevic wins Norway's only gold medal at the 2009 European Athletics U23 Championships, in the 100 metres hurdles.
1 August – At the 2009 World Aquatics Championships, Ingvild Snildal wins her only World Championship medal, a bronze in the 50 metre butterfly.
21 August – At the 2009 World Championships in Athletics, Trond Nymark finishes second in the 50 kilometres walk, later upgraded to a gold medal following the disqualification of the winner.
23 August – Double Olympic champion Andreas Thorkildsen wins his only World Championships gold medal in the javelin throw.
7 September – Norway reaches the semi-final of the UEFA Women's Euro 2009, losing there to Germany.
20 December – Norway win the bronze final at the 2009 World Women's Handball Championship.

Literature

Per Petterson is awarded the Nordic Council Literature Prize, for I Curse the River of Time.

Anniversaries

150 years since the birth of author Knut Hamsun on 4 August 1859
100 years since the founding of the Norwegian Association of the Blind and Partially Sighted on 22 October 1909
100 years since the establishment of the Norwegian National Academy of Fine Arts on 29 November 1909
75 years since the Tafjorden tsunami killed 41 people in Tafjord in Møre og Romsdal on 7 April 1934. The tsunami was triggered by landslide.

Notable deaths

January

2 January – John Olav Larssen, evangelical preacher and missionary
3 January –
* Torleiv Moren, painter
* Kjelfrid Brusveen, cross-country skier
4 January –
* Arvid Knutsen, soccer player and coach
* Leif Herbrand Eriksen, journalist and politician
* Odd Østbye, journalist and politician
6 January –
* Magne Rommetveit, philologist
* Eldar Hagen, ski salesman and sports official
8 January – Björn Haugan, operatic lyric tenor
11 January – Jon Tvedt, mountain runner
12 January –
* Jack Erik Kjuus, anti-immigration activist
* Arne Næss, philosopher
* Knut Eidem, journalist
14 January – John Sveinsson, footballer
17 January – Otto Birger Morcken, chess player
21 January – Astrid Folstad, actress
24 January –
* Kåre Berg, professor in medical genetics
* Herman Pedersen, politician
29 January –
* Olaf Øen, politician
* Sjur Refsdal, astronomer
31 January – Arne E. Holm, artist and architect

February

1 February – Odd Torgeir Rusten, politician
2 February – Fredrik Kayser, resistance member
3 February – Åsa Solberg Iversen, politician
4 February – Arnljot Eggen, lyricist
8 February – Wenche Klouman Kerr, actress
10 February – Eva Gustavson, opera singer
12 February – Willy Haugli, jurist and former Oslo chief of police
14 February – Kjersti Graver, jurist and consumer ombudsman
19 February – Jan E. Mellbye, agrarian leader
21 February – Brynjulf Alver, folklorist
23 February – Sverre Fehn, architect
26 February – Ingebjørg Karmhus, politician
28 February – Finn Christensen, artist

March

4 March – Triztán Vindtorn, poet.
5 March – Bjørg Lødøen, artist
6 March – Arild Eik, diplomat
10 March – Geir Killingland, modeling agency executive.
13 March – Anne Brown, opera singer.
16 March – Mons Espelid, politician
17 March – Jan Mohr, geneticist
23 March – Lars Arentz-Hansen, barrister
24 March – Ole Edvard Borgen, Methodist leader
25 March – Knut Selmer, law professor
26 March – Arne Bendiksen, singer, composer and producer.
28 March – Inger Lise Gjørv, politician

April

2 April – Guttorm Hansen, writer and politician
4 April – Jone Vadla, politician
5 April –
* Ole Gabriel Ueland, politician
* Reidun Røed, resistance member
12 April –
* Hans Kleppen, ski jumper
* Jens Balchen, civil engineer
16 April – Svein Longva, economist and civil servant
18 April – Thor Hernes, footballer and sports official
20 April – Ola M. Steinholt, bishop
26 April – Ivar Ramstad, discus thrower
26 April – Geir Hovig, radio presenter
29 April – Steinar Lem, environmentalist
29 April – Arne Riis, actor
30 April – Bjørn Lothe, politician

May

1 May – Torstein Grythe, conductor
2 May – Herbert Svenkerud, translator
12 May – Thomas Nordseth-Tiller, screenwriter
13 May – Berit Erbe, actor and theatre historian
19 May – Sjur Brækhus, law professor
20 May – Randi Lindtner Næss, actress and singer
22 May – Asle Sjåstad, alpine skier
25 May –
* Haakon Lie, politician
* Rolf Brahde, astronomer
31 May – Ingebjørg Sem, actress

June

1 June – Åse Fosli, politician
3 June –
* Geir Høgsnes, sociologist
* Olav S. Platou, architect
9 June – Arne Tovik, newspaper editor and journalist
11 June – Jakob Kjersem, long-distance runner
14 June – Ragnar Frislid, writer, photographer and environmentalist
17 June – Erik Naggum, programmer
18 June – Elisabeth Schweigaard Selmer, politician and judge
22 June –
* Kaare Langlete, lord chamberlain
* Anders Bye, novelist
30 June – Mosse Jørgensen, education reform activist

July

1 July – Gerd Vollum, politician
4 July – Hildur Odlaug Os, politician
6 July – Marius Eriksen, skier, fighter pilot, model and actor
9 July –
* Ole Johannes Kløv, politician
* Egil Arne Braathen, billionaire
10 July – Ebba Haslund, author
17 July – Per Meinich, economist
24 July – Terje Moe, architect
25 July – Erling Kristiansen, cyclist
28 July – Kjell Colding, diplomat and politician

August

3 August – Oddvar Korme, journalist
4 August – Ole A. Sørli, manager and record producer
5 August – Bjarne Berg-Sæther, politician
8 August – Pål Kraby, barrister and businessman
9 August –
* Leif Husebye, newspaper editor
* Vince Sulyok, librarian and poet
14 August – Torstein Slungård, politician
24 August – Leif Flengsrud, cyclist
26 August –
* Birger Skeie, businessman
* Per Christensen, actor
28 August – Ernst Magne Johansen, painter
29 August – Inger Johanne Nossum, rector
30 August –
* Kiki Sørum, fashion journalist
* Åse Wentzel, singer
31 August –
* Aksel Fossen, politician
* Asbjørn Aarseth, philologist

September

1 September – Per Nyhaug, jazz drummer
4 September – Kåre Karlsen, politician
7 September – Torstein Tranøy, journalist
15 September – Torfinn Bjørnaas, resistance member
17 September – Christian Petersen, ice hockey player
22 September –
* Olaf Dufseth, skier
* Ada Madssen, sculptor
27 September – Martha Schrøder, politician
28 September – Elisabeth Bang, actress
29 September – Gunnar Haugan, actor

October

1 October – Gunnar Haarberg, television presenter
1 October – Bjarne Karsten Vatne, politician
9 October –
* Arne Bakker, football and bandy player
* Paul Reine, politician
13 October – Atle Jebsen, ship-owner
14 October – Hans Chr. Mamen, local historian and priest
15 October – Tollak B. Sirnes, physician, psychiatrist and pharmacologist
17 October –
* Kurt Nordbø, politician
* Egil Oddvar Larsen, politician
20 October – Carl Fredrik Lowzow, politician
21 October – Wilhelm Elsrud, forester
23 October – Ragnvald Høier, physicist
25 October – Gerhard Knoop, theatre director
27 October – Marit Trætteberg, chemist
29 October – Olav Hodne, missionary

November

5 November – Nini Anker Dessen, textile artist
6 November – Kjell Bartholdsen, jazz musician
7 November – Arne Natland, footballer
11 November – Helge Reiss, actor
12 November – Elisabeth Aasen, politician
16 November – Anne-Sofie Strømnæs, resistance member
20 November – Leiv Erdal, politician
21 November – Gerhard Aspheim, trombonist
22 November – Eva Sivertsen, philologist
24 November – Alexander Pihl, professor of medicine
28 November – Bjartmar Gjerde, politician

December

3 December – Åsmund L. Strømnes, educationalist
3 December – Lulla Einrid Fossland, politician
9 December – Mia Berner, writer
9 December – Kjell Eugenio Laugerud García, Norwegian-born President of Guatemala
11 December – Erland Steenberg, politician
11 December – Karl Erik Zachariassen, zoologist
12 December – Josef Monsrud, resistance member
13 December – Arne Næss, politician
15 December – Per Ulven, harness racing coach
18 December – Sidsel Tone Berntsberg, sculptor
21 December – Johan E. Holand, journalist and politician
21 December – Bjørg Engh, actress
25 December – Knut Haugland, resistance member and explorer
26 December – Peder Lunde, yacht racer
26 December –Tarald Weisteen, colonel
26 December –Odd Kirkeby, politician
29 December – Ottar Landfald, politician
29 December – Harold Nicolaisen, politician
30 December – Anne Valen Hestetun, politician
31 December – Rodney Riise, ice hockey player

Full date unknown

Fritz Hodne, historian
Bjørn Heggelund, police chief
Roar Stub Andersen, resistance member
Arvid Berglind, politician
Per Ulriksen, politician
Robert Bergsaker, missionary
Alf Blyverket, musician
Tore Brantenberg, architect and writer
Finn Sollie, political scientist
Jan Erik Stenberg, Paralympic athlete
Thorstein Thelle, popular writer
Kåre I. Torp, industrialist
Nils Viker, nature writer
Inger Vonheim, short story writer
Sverre Kongshavn, politician
Hans Fredrik Marthinussen, judge
Bernt Daniel Odfjell, ship-owner
Ivar Bjerknes, painter