2001 in Norway

Incumbents

• Monarch – Harald V
• Prime Minister – Jens Stoltenberg until 19 October, Kjell Magne Bondevik

  Events

January

• 26 January: Murder of Benjamin Hermansen.

  February

• February – Former Prime Minister, then foreign affairs minister Thorbjørn Jagland makes a political scandal when he jokingly refers to Gabon's president Omar Bongo, due for a state visit to Norway, as "Bongo from Congo".
• February – Around 40,000 people in Oslo march in a rally to express their outrage and devastation over the racially motivated murder in Holmlia, Oslo of a young black Norwegian boy, Benjamin Hermansen at the hands of a group af neo-Nazis. Marches take place simultaneously all over Norway.

  March

• 25 March – The Schengen Agreement treaty comes into force in Norway.

  April

May

June

• 18 June – The state-owned oil and gas company Statoil is listed on the Oslo Stock Exchange.

  July

August

• August – The Bratsberg Line in Nedre Telemark closes down. It was opened in 1917.
• 25 August – Wedding of Haakon, Crown Prince of Norway, and Mette-Marit Tjessem Høiby.

  September

• 10 September – The 2001 Norwegian parliamentary election takes place. The Norwegian Labour Party won a plurality of votes and seats, closely followed by the Conservative Party. The Labour Party was unable to form a government, and a centre-right coalition of the Conservative Party, the Christian People's Party and the Liberal Party was formed, led by Norwegian Prime Minister Kjell Magne Bondevik of the Christian Democratic Party.

  October

• 19 October – Norwegian Prime Minister Kjell Magne Bondevik's Second Cabinet was appointed.

  November

• 3 November – Population Census: 4,520,900 inhabitants in Norway.
• 17 November – Eurasian harvest mouse is observed in Norway for the first time.

  December

Popular culture

Sports

Music

• Norway in the Eurovision Song Contest 2001

  Film

Literature

Television

Notable births

• 12 January – Vilde Nilsen, Paralympic cross-country skier and biathlete
• 16 April – Mia Svele, handball player

  Notable deaths

• 17 January – Sigurd Vestad, cross country skier
• 26 January – Benjamin Hermansen, murder victim
• 29 January – Ingebrigt Davik, children's writer
• 4 February – Asbjørn Antoni Holm, politician
• 8 February – Ivo Caprino, film director and writer
• 8 February – Torkell Tande, politician
• 13 February – Knut Th. Gleditsch, sports commentator
• 14 February – Olav Reiersøl, statistician and econometrician
• 8 March – David Sandved, architect
• 11 March – Finn Ferner, sailor and Olympic silver medallist
• 22 March – Rolf Birger Pedersen, football player and coach
• 29 March – Helge Ingstad, explorer
• 4 April – Sverre Engen, skier, ski coach, ski area manager and filmmaker in America
• 10 April – Knut Andreas Knudsen, politician
• 12 April – Reidar Hirsti, newspaper editor and politician
• 24 April – Gro Anita Schønn, singer
• 26 April – Sverre Walter Rostoft, politician and Minister
• 7 May – Thor Støre, politician
• 19 May – Vidkunn Hveding, politician and Minister
• 27 May – Knut Myrstad, politician
• 5 June – Sigmund P. Haave, politician
• 14 June – Andreas Wormdahl, politician
• 2 July – Fredrik Stabel, illustrator and satirical writer.
• 15 July – Helge Rognlien, politician and Minister
• 21 July – Gudmund Grytøyr, politician
• 24 July – Sven Olsen, politician
• 31 August – Odd Steinar Holøs, politician
• 12 October – Gunnar Thorleif Hvashovd, politician
• 1 November – Engly Lie, politician
• 3 November – Liv Paulsen, sprinter and shot putter.
• 18 November – Roar Hauglid, art historian.
• 1 December – Olav Mosebekk, illustrator and painter.
• 10 December – Knut Fægri, botanist
• 15 December – Leif Kolflaath, politician
• 19 December – Jakob Weidemann, painter
• 28 December – Arne Rettedal, politician and Minister

  Full date unknown

• Odd Abrahamsen, poet
• HÃ¥kon Flood, professor of inorganic chemistry
• Henriette Bie Lorentzen, humanist, peace activist, feminist and editor
• Anfinn Lund, civil servant and politician
• Nils Slaatto, architect