Events from the year 2020 in Finland
Incumbents President: Sauli Niinistö Prime Minister: Sanna Marin Speaker: Matti Vanhanen (until 9 June), Anu Vehviläinen (from 9 June)
Events January January 27 – Following the developments of COVID-19 outbreak in mainland China, Finland's Ministry for Foreign Affairs advised citizens to avoid unnecessary travel to Hubei province. January 28 – Finnair announced it would be suspending its five weekly routes to Nanjing and Beijing Daxing until the end of March. January 29 – COVID-19 pandemic in Finland: 1st confirmed case. A 32-year-old Chinese woman from Wuhan sought medical attention in Ivalo and tested positive for SARS-CoV-2. She had travelled from Wuhan. She was quarantined at Lapland Central Hospital in Rovaniemi. January 30 – Finland's health officials estimated that up to 24 people may have been exposed to the virus.
February February 5 – 3 of the 24 people suspected of being exposed have left Finland by this date, and 14 of the remaining 21 have been quarantined. February 26 – Finland's health officials confirmed the second case, a Finnish woman, who made a trip to Milan and was back in Finland on 22 February, tested positive at the Helsinki University Central Hospital. February 28 – A Finnish woman who had traveled to Northern Italy, tested positive by the Helsinki and Uusimaa Hospital District and was advised to remain in home isolation.
March
March 13 – the remaining part of the 2019–20 Liiga season was cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic.Liiga-kausi päättyy välittömästi – Suomen mestaruus jää jakamatta March 28 – the region of Uusimaa was temporarily isolated from the rest of Finland due to increased COVID-19 infections.
April
May
June
July
July 17 – Finns Party political functionary was in his home by two unknown people posing as parcel delivery men. Kataja was beaten with a hammer or similar object approximately 20 times and suffered a fractured skull. The case was investigated by the police as an attempted murder, and remains unsolved as of 2025.
August
August 1 – Prime Minister Sanna Marin married her long-time partner Markus Räikkönen at Kesäranta.
September
October
October 21 – The Vastaamo data breach case began with a then-unknown person or group (later revealed to be ex-Lizard Squad member Aleksanteri Kivimäki, also known as Julius Kivimäki) releasing online some of the data on patients and their histories that they had acquired from the Vastaamo psychotherapy centre. Among the affected were politician Kirsi Piha.
November
December 4 December – Three underage boys murdered a 16-year-old boy in an act of protracted violence in Helsinki.
Deaths
January
20 January – Reijo Kuistila, 88, Finnish Olympic equestrian.Reijo Kuistila 23 January – Kalevi Tuominen, Hall of Fame basketball player, coach and executive (b. 1927)Suomalaisen urheiluvalmennuksen legenda Kalevi Tuominen on kuollut 30 January – Jörn Donner, writer, film director and politician (b. 1933)
February
28 February – Stig-Göran Myntti, football and bandy player (b. 1925)En guldgosse har gått bort – Stig-Göran Myntti har avlidit
March
5 March – Susanna Majuri, photographer (b. 1978)Valokuvataiteilija Susanna Majuri on kuollut 7 March – Karri Käyhkö, Olympic swimmer (b. 1937)Karri Käyhkö 11 March – Aarne Kainlauri, Olympic steeplechaser (b. 1915)Suru-uutinen: 104-vuotias olympiajuoksija Aarne Kainlauri on kuollut 12 March – Juha Harjula, Olympic basketball player (b. 1942)Olympialaisissa Suomea edustanut Juha Harjula on kuollut 19 March – Max Engman, historian and translator (b. 1945)Max Engman in memoriam 26 March – , professor and politician, Liberal People's Party member of parliament 1972–1975 (b. 1935)
April
4 April – Pertti Paasio, politician, Minister of Foreign Affairs 1989–1991 (b. 1939)Politician Pertti Paasio is dead 5 April – Pentti Linkola, writer, ornithologist and ecologist (b. 1932) 12 April – Mikko Kaasalainen, mathematician (b. 1965)Tampereen yliopiston matematiikan professori Mikko Kaasalainen on kuollut 15 April – Vesa Törnroos, Olympic sports shooter (b. 1982)Vesa Törnroos on poissa 26 April – Kauko Juhantalo, Centre Party politician (b. 1942)
May
8 May – Ritva Valkama, actress (b. 1932)Näyttelijä Ritva Valkama on kuollut 9 May Timo Honkela, computer scientist (b. 1962)Kalajoelta lähtöisin ollut emeritusprofessori, tekoälytutkija Timo Honkela (1962-2020) on kuollut Kari Karanko, diplomat (b. 1941)Kari Karanko 1941–2020 26 May Johanna Ehrnrooth, painter (b. 1958)Kuvataiteilija Johanna Ehrnrooth on kuollut Jon Hellevig, lawyer and businessman (b. 1962)Lehti: Karita Mattilan uhkailusta tuomittu lakimies Jon Hellevig on kuollut Moskovassa
June
3 June – Veli Lehtelä, rower, Olympic bronze medalist (b. 1935) 24 June – Gösta Ågren, poet (b. 1936)Gösta Ågren är död 27 June – Arja Tuomarila, singer and continuity announcer (b. 1941)Televisiokuuluttaja Arja Tuomarila on kuollut
July
12 July – Jarno Sarkula, musician (Alamaailman Vasarat) (b. 1973)Alamaailman Vasarat -yhtyeen perustaja Jarno ”Stakula” Sarkula on kuollut 18 July – Jope Ruonansuu, actor, musician and stand-up comedian (b. 1964)Taiteilija Jope Ruonansuu on kuollut 20 July – Mirja Jämes, 95, Finnish Olympic hurdler (1948).Mirja Jämes
August
14 August – Kalevi Oikarainen, 84, Finnish cross-country skier, world champion (1970), Olympic bronze medalist (1968).Hiihdon maailmanmestari Kalevi ”Susi-Kalle” Oikarainen on kuollut 25 August – Erik Allardt, 95, Finnish sociologist, Chancellor of Åbo Akademi University (1992–1994).Kansainvälisesti tunnettu suomalainen sosiologi Erik Allardt on kuollut 95-vuotiaana 28 August – Jan Klenberg, admiral, Chief of Defence 1990–1994 (b. 1931)Puolustusvoimain entinen komentaja, amiraali Jan Klenberg on kuollut
September
8 September – Vexi Salmi, lyricist (b. 1942)Folkkära sångtextförfattaren Vexi Salmi är död
October
16 October – Marjatta Väänänen, politician, Minister of Culture 1972–1975, Education 1976–1977 and Social Affairs and Health 1982–1983 (b. 1923)Keskustavaikuttaja, ministeri Marjatta Väänänen on kuollut – Seppo Kääriäinen: "Hän oli arvostettu poliitiikko ja taitava kirjoittaja"
November
1 November – Tuomas Gerdt, military officer, last surviving Mannerheim Cross recipient (b. 1922)Viimeinen Mannerheim-ristin ritari Tuomas Gerdt on kuollut 3 November – Matti Laakso, Olympic wrestler (b. 1939)Matti Laakso 5 November – Ossi Runne, trumpeter, orchestra leader and composer (b. 1927)Musikens "grand old man" Ossi Runne är död 6 November – Sakari Paasonen, Olympic shooter (b. 1935)Sakari Paasonen 14 November – Osmo Ala-Honkola, Olympic shooter (b. 1939)Osmo Ala-Honkola 20 November – Hannu Lahtinen, Olympic wrestler (b. 1960)Suru-uutinen: Painin maailmanmestari Hannu Lahtinen, 60, on kuollut 25 November – Paul Nyman, Olympic racing cyclist (b. 1929)Paul Nyman
December
11 December – Richard Tötterman, diplomat (b. 1926)Richard Tötterman's death notice on Helsingin Sanomat 14 December – Seppo Vainio, Olympic ice hockey player (b. 1937)Seppo Vainio 28 December – Jyrki Heliskoski, football coach (b. 1945)Jalkapallovalmentaja Jyrki Heliskoski on kuollut 31 December – Olli Lehto, mathematician (b. 1925)Akateemikko Olli Lehto on kuollut – hän tuli tunnetuksi erityisesti matemaattisten tieteiden edistäjänä
References