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Urho Kekkonen
Urho Kaleva Kekkonen, often referred to by his initials UKK, was a Finnish politician who served as the eighth and longest-serving president of Finland from 1956 to 1982. He also served as prime minister, and held various other cabinet positions. He was the third and most recent president from the Agrarian League/Centre Party. Head of state for nearly 26 years, he dominated Finnish politics for 31…
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culture · President of Finland from 1956 to 1982 · politician · athletics competitor · lawyer · journalist · sprinter · police officer · foreign minister · also Urho Kekkonen, Urho Kaleva Kekkonen, Kekkonen
Born 3 September 1900 · Died 31 August 1986 · Q179858
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2025· 1 entry
2024· 1 entry
Moviefone: Urho Kekkonen - valtiomies, presidentti - Full Cast and Crew
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2023· 1 entry
Yle: Urho Kekkonen álbmotmeahci vuođđudeamis vássán farga 40 jagi
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2022· 1 entry
Variety: Urho Kekkonen Project From ‘All the Sins’ Producer Locks First Partners (EXCLUSIVE)
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2021· 1 entry
Yle: Urho Kekkonen olisi nykyaikana seurattu mies somessa
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2010· 1 entry
The Mint of Finland is re-released coins minted in 1981 from its vaults
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1986· 2 entries
Three days before his 86th birthday, and was buried with full honours
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Died 1986-08-31.
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1981· 1 entry
When he had served 25 years as the president
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1980· 3 entries
Awarded Lenin Peace Prize (1980).
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Won: Colombia (1980).
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Kekkonen was awarded the Lenin Peace Prize
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1978· 3 entries
Won: Spain (1978).
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Awarded Collar of the Order of Charles III (1978).
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But his health and mental faculties visibly deteriorated, forcing him to submit his resignation in late 1981 and retire
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1976· 1 entry
Awarded Grand Cross Special Class of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany (1976).
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1975· 4 entries
Awarded Collar of the Order of Isabella the Catholic (1975).
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Won: Spain (1975).
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When he dissolved parliament and hosted the Conference on Security and Co-operation in Europe (CSCE) in Helsinki with the assistance of a caretaker government
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Considered the peak year of his career, Kekkonen hosted the Conference on Security and Co-operation in Europe in Helsinki and resolved a domestic political crisis by pressuring party leaders into joining a new "popular f
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1974· 1 entry
Awarded Grand Cross of the Order of Merit of the Polish People's Republic (1974).
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1973· 2 entries
Won: Senegal (1973).
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Awarded Order of Friendship of Peoples (1973).
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1971· 5 entries
Won: San Marino (1971).
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Awarded Collar of the Order of Pope Pius IX (1971).
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Awarded Order of San Marino (1971).
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Won: Holy See (1971).
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Won: Iran (October 1971).
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1970· 3 entries
Won: Iran (1970).
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Awarded Order of Pahlavi (1970).
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That if it was no longer prepared to recognise Finland's neutrality, he would not continue as president, nor would the Finno-Soviet Treaty be extended
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1969· 5 entries
Won: United Kingdom (1969).
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Won: Czechoslovakia (1969).
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Awarded Honorary Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath (1969).
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Awarded Star of the Socialist Republic of Romania, 1st class (1969).
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Awarded Collar of the Order of the White Lion (1969).
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1968· 1 entry
And achieved the height of his power in the 1970s; in 1973, an emergency law extending his term by four years passed the Parliament with 170 votes for and only 28 against
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1967· 1 entry
Won: Egypt (1967).
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1965· 2 entries
Won: Tunisia (1965).
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Awarded Order of Independence (1965).
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1964· 2 entries
Awarded Grand Cross of the Order of Polonia Restituta (1964).
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Awarded Order of Lenin (1964).
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1963· 4 entries
Won: Yugoslavia (1963).
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Won: Mexico (1963).
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Awarded Order of the Yugoslavian Great Star (1963).
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Awarded Collar of the Order of the Aztec Eagle (1963).
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1962· 2 entries
In the aftermath of the Note Crisis and the withdrawal of the main opposition candidate
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For his "tireless efforts and success at keeping peace and security in the Nordic countries, and therefore contributing to civic peace and reconciliation in the World"
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1961· 1 entry
Awarded Knight Grand Cross of the Order of St Michael and St George (1961).
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1960· 4 entries
Won: Italy (1960).
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Awarded Knight Grand Cross with Collar of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic (1960).
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Awarded Grand Star of the Decoration for Services to the Republic of Austria (1960).
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Awarded Knight Grand Cross with Collar of the Order of Saint Olav (1960).
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1959· 1 entry
Vennamo founded the Finnish Rural Party, the forerunner of the nationalist True Finns
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1958· 1 entry
Awarded Grand Cross of the Legion of Honour (1958).
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1957· 2 entries
Awarded Knight of the Order of the Elephant (1957).
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Awarded Grand Cross with Collar of the Order of the Falcon (1957).
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1956· 5 entries
Awarded Grand Cross of the Order of the Lion of Finland (1956).
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Awarded Grand Cross with Collar of the Order of the White Rose of Finland (1956).
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Awarded Grand Cross of the Order of the Cross of Liberty (1956).
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Awarded Royal Order of the Seraphim (1956).
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Career landmark: President of Finland (1956–1982).
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1955· 2 entries
Awarded Grand Cross of the Order of the Holy Lamb (1955).
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Awarded Grand Cross of the Order of the Dannebrog (1955).
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1954· 2 entries
Awarded Grand Cross of the Order of Orange-Nassau (1954).
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Career landmark: Prime Minister of Finland (1954–1956).
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1953· 2 entries
Awarded Grand Cross of the Order of the White Rose of Finland (1953).
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But returned as Prime Minister from 1954 to 1956
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1952· 4 entries
Won Queen Elizabeth II Coronation Medal (1952).
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Earned Finnish Olympic Cross of Merit, First Class (1952).
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Awarded Knight Grand Cross of the Order of Vasa (1952).
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Career landmark: Minister for Foreign Affairs of Finland (1952–1953).
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1950· 3 entries
Awarded The Great Cross of Merit of Finnish Sports and Culture of Physical Exercise (1950).
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Career landmark: Minister of the Interior (1950–1951).
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Career landmark: Prime Minister of Finland (1950–1953).
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1948· 1 entry
Career landmark: Speaker of the Parliament of Finland (1948–1950).
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1947· 1 entry
Awarded Commander First Class of the Order of the Lion of Finland (1947).
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1945· 1 entry
Career landmark: member of the Parliament of Finland (1945–1956).
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1944· 2 entries
Again became Minister of Justice, serving until 1946, and had to deal with the war-responsibility trials
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Career landmark: Minister of Justice of Finland (1944–1946).
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1943· 1 entry
Awarded Commander with Star of the Order of Merit of the Kingdom of Hungary (1943).
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1937· 2 entries
Earned German Olympic Decoration (1937).
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Career landmark: Minister of the Interior (1937–1939).
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1936· 4 entries
Career landmark: Minister of Justice of Finland (1936–1937).
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Whereupon he became Justice Minister, serving from 1936 to 1937
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At the University of Helsinki where he was active in the Pohjois-Pohjalainen Osakunta, a student nation for students from northern Ostrobothnia, and editor-in-chief of the student newspaper Ylioppilaslehti in the period
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Career landmark: member of the Parliament of Finland (1936–1945).
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1933· 2 entries
Awarded Commander of the Order of Sports Merit (1933).
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Joined the Agrarian League (later renamed the Centre Party), became a civil servant at the Ministry of Agriculture and made his first unsuccessful attempt at getting elected to the Finnish Parliament
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1932· 1 entry
Along with over 100 other moderate members because of the organisation's support for the 1932 far-right Mäntsälä rebellion
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1927· 1 entry
Kekkonen became a lawyer and worked for the Association of Rural Municipalities until 1932
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1900· 1 entry
Born 1900-09-03.
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1878· 1 entry
Aatu Pylvänäinen, Urho Kekkonen's maternal grandfather, who worked as a farmer at the Tarkkala farm in Kangasniemi, married Amanda Manninen in the summer of 1878 when she was 16 years old.
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