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{{Short description|President of Iceland from 1980 to 1996}}
{{Expand|date=January 2007}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2020}}
{{icelandic name|Vigdís}}
{{Icelandic name|Vigdís}}
{{Infobox Officeholder
{{Infobox officeholder
|name = Vigdís Finnbogadóttir
| honorific_prefix =
|image = Vigdísfinnbogadóttir.jpg
| image = Vigdis Finnbogadottir (1985).jpg
|imagesize = 96px
|office = [[President of Iceland]]
| caption = Vigdís in 1985
| order = 4th
|primeminister = [[Gunnar Thoroddsen]]<br>[[Steingrímur Hermannsson]]<br>[[Þorsteinn Pálsson]]<br>[[Steingrímur Hermannsson]]<br>[[Davíð Oddsson]]
| office = President of Iceland
|term_start = 1 August 1980
| primeminister = [[Gunnar Thoroddsen]]<br />[[Steingrímur Hermannsson]]<br />[[Þorsteinn Pálsson]]<br />[[Davíð Oddsson]]
|term_end = 1 August 1996
| term_start = 1 August 1980
|predecessor = [[Kristján Eldjárn]]
| term_end = 1 August 1996
|successor = [[Ólafur Ragnar Grímsson]]
| predecessor = [[Kristján Eldjárn]]
|birth_date = {{birth date and age|1930|4|15|df=y}}
| successor = [[Ólafur Ragnar Grímsson]]
|birth_place = [[Reykjavík]], [[Iceland]]
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1930|04|15|df=y}}
|death_date =
| birth_place = [[Reykjavík]], [[Kingdom of Iceland|Iceland]]
|death_place =
| death_date =
|alma_mater = [[University of Paris]]<br>[[University of Grenoble]]<br>[[University of Copenhagen]]<br>[[University of Iceland]]
| death_place =
|profession = [[Teacher]]<br>[[Theatre director]]
| alma_mater = [[University of Paris]]<br />[[Université Grenoble Alpes|University of Grenoble]]<br />[[University of Copenhagen]]<br />[[University of Iceland]]
| spouse = {{marriage|Ragnar Arinbjarnar|1954|1961|end=div}}
| children = 1 (adopted)
}}
}}
''' Vigdís Finnbogadóttir''' ({{IPA-is|ˈvɪɣtis ˈfɪnpɔɣaˌtouʰtɪr̥|lang|Is-Vigdis finnbogadottir.oga}}; born 15 April 1930) is an Icelandic politician who served as the fourth [[president of Iceland]] from 1980 to 1996. Vigdís is the first woman in the world to be democratically elected as president.{{efn|[[Isabel Perón]] was the first woman in the world who served as President (1974), but she had been elected Vice President (1973) and only took office by [[Argentine presidential line of succession|succession]], when her husband President [[Juan Perón]] died in office. [[Khertek Anchimaa-Toka]] in 1940 was the first non-royal female head of state in the modern era, but was titled Chairwoman of the Presidium. The first female head of government after an election was [[Sirimavo Bandaranaike]], who became the Prime Minister of [[Dominion of Ceylon|Ceylon]] in 1960.}} Having served as president of Iceland for 16 years, she is the longest-serving elected female head of state in history. She is the first female president in Icelandic history, while later being followed by the current president, [[Halla Tómasdóttir]], as the second female president. Vigdís is a [[UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador]] and a member of the [[Club of Madrid]].
'''Vigdís Finnbogadóttir''' ({{Audio-IPA|Vigdis_finnbogadottir.ogg|/ˈvɪɣtiːs ˈfɪn.pɔːɣaˌtoʊhtɪr/}}) (born 15 April 1930) is an [[Iceland]]ic politician who served as the fourth [[President of Iceland]] from 1980 to 1996. In addition to being Iceland's first female president, she was the world's first [[List of elected or appointed female heads of state|democratically elected female head of state]].<ref>{{cite web
| title = Club of Madrid: Vigdís Finnbogadóttir
| publisher = [[Club of Madrid]]
| year = 2003
| url = http://www.clubmadrid.org/en/miembro/vigdis_finnbogadottir
| accessdate = 2010-07-19}}</ref> With a presidency of exactly sixteen years, she also remains the longest serving female head of state of any country to date. Currently, she is a [[UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador]], and a Member of the [[Club of Madrid]].<ref>{{cite web
| title = Club of Madrid: Full Members
| publisher = [[Club of Madrid]]
| year = 2003
| url = http://www.clubmadrid.org/cmadrid/index.php?id=36
| accessdate = 2008-03-30}}</ref>


==Early life==
==Early life and career==
Vigdís was born on 15 April 1930 in [[Reykjavík]].<ref name="icelandmonitor">{{Cite web |title=Former President Vigdís Finnbogadóttir Turns 90 Today |url=https://icelandmonitor.mbl.is/news/politics_and_society/2020/04/15/former_president_vigdis_finnbogadottir_turns_90_tod/ |access-date=2023-10-07 |website=Iceland Monitor}}</ref> Her father was a [[civil engineer]], and her mother was a nurse who headed the national nurses association.<ref name="Inga">{{Cite book |last=Snaebjornsson |first=Inga Minelgaite |url=https://link.springer.com/book/10.1007/978-3-319-44758-2 |title=Women Leaders in Chaotic Environments: Examinations of Leadership Using Complexity Theory |date=2016 |publisher=Springer |isbn=978-3-319-44758-2 |editor-last=Erçetin |editor-first=Şefika Şule |series=Lecture Notes in Social Networks |pages=35–47 |chapter="President Vigdís": The End and the Beginning of Women’s Agenda in Iceland |doi=10.1007/978-3-319-44758-2 |s2cid=1414678 |url-access=subscription}}</ref>{{Rp|page=41}} The following year, her younger brother Þorvaldur was born; he did not survive to adulthood, as he drowned in [[Hreðavatn]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Einarsdóttir |first=Júlía Margrét |date=19 April 2020 |title="Ég missti þann förunaut sem hefði fylgt mér alla ævi" |url=https://www.ruv.is/frettir/menning-og-daegurmal/2020-04-19-eg-missti-thann-forunaut-sem-hefdi-fylgt-mer-alla-aevi/ |website=RÚV}}</ref> Vigdís enrolled at the [[University of Grenoble]] in 1949, later switching to [[Sorbonne University|the Sorbonne]].<ref name="icelandmag">{{Cite web |title=First female head of state, Vigdís Finnbogadóttir, elected 35 years ago today |url=https://icelandmag.is/article/first-female-head-state-vigdis-finnbogadottir-elected-35-years-ago-today |date=June 29, 2015|access-date=2023-10-07 |website=Icelandmag |language=en}}</ref> She studied English and French literature, giving special emphasis to plays,<ref name="Inga" />{{Rp|page=41}} and she graduated in 1953.<ref name="icelandmag" />
[[Image:Coat of Arms of Vigdís President of Iceland.png|thumb|Coat of Arms of Vigdís Finnbogadóttir as president of Iceland.]]
Vigdís Finnbogadóttir was born in [[Reykjavík]] on 15 April 1930. Her father, Finnbogi Rútur Þorvaldsson, was a [[civil engineer]], as well as a professor at the [[University of Iceland]]. Her mother, Sigríður Eiríksdóttir, was a nurse and the chairperson of the Icelandic Nurses Association. After passing her matriculation exam in 1949, Vigdís studied [[French language|French]] and [[French literature]] at the [[University of Grenoble]] and the [[Sorbonne]] in [[Paris]] from 1949–53, [[history of theater]] at the [[University of Copenhagen]], and acquired a [[Bachelor of Arts|BA]] in French and [[English language|English]], as well as [[PGCE]], at the [[University of Iceland]].


Vigdís was married in 1954.<ref name="icelandmag" /> The same year, she began acting,<ref name="France24">{{Cite web |date=2020-07-31 |title=Vigdis Finnbogadottir, the world's first elected female president |url=https://www.france24.com/en/20200731-vigdis-finnbogadottir-the-world-s-first-elected-female-president |access-date=2023-10-07 |website=France 24 |language=en}}</ref> co-founding a theatre group. She also worked on the translation of several French plays.<ref name="icelandmonitor" /> She enrolled at the [[University of Copenhagen]] in 1957, where she studied theatre history until the following year.<ref name="icelandmag" /> She was divorced in 1963.<ref name="icelandmag" /> Vigdís participated in the anti-military rallies that took place in the 1960s and 1970s, protesting the United States military presence in Iceland.<ref name="Inga" />{{Rp|page=41}} Vigdís adopted a daughter in 1972,<ref name="Inga" />{{Rp|page=42}} making her the first single woman in Iceland to adopt a child.<ref name="icelandmag" />
She participated in the 1960s and 1970s in numerous rallies held to protest the U.S. military presence in Iceland (and in particular at [[Keflavík International Airport|Keflavík]]). Every year hundreds – sometimes thousands – walked the 50-km road to Keflavík and chanted "Ísland úr [[NATO]], herinn burt" (literally: Iceland out of NATO, the military away).


Vigdís taught French lessons on television for [[RÚV]] beginning in 1972, making her a well known figure throughout the nation.<ref name="Inga" />{{Rp|page=41}} In the same year, she was appointed the artistic director of the [[Reykjavík Theatre Company]].<ref name="France24" /> She became a member of the Advisory Committee on Cultural Affairs in the Nordic Countries in 1976, and she became the organisation's chair in 1978.<ref name="Inga" />{{Rp|page=41}} She continued in all of these positions until she became [[President of Iceland]] in 1980.<ref name="Inga" />{{Rp|page=41}}<ref name="France24" /> Other jobs she held early in life included her work as a French teacher at several colleges, including at the [[University of Iceland]], and her work as a tour guide with the Icelandic Tourist Bureau in the summers. She eventually became the head of the Icelandic Tourist Bureau.<ref name="icelandmag" />
==Artistic and academic career==
Vigdís Finnbogadóttir worked with the Reykjavík Theatre Company 1954–57 and again 1961–64. During the summers she also worked as a tour guide. Vigdís taught French at [[Menntaskólinn í Reykjavík]] 1962–67 and at [[Menntaskólinn við Hamrahlíð]] 1967–72. She also taught for a while at [[University of Iceland]], as well as holding French courses on [[RÚV]], the Icelandic state television.


==Presidency (1980–1996)==
She was the Artistic Director of the Reykjavík Theatre Company ([[Leikfélag Reykjavíkur]]), later the City Theatre 1972–80. From 1976 to 1980 she was a member of the Advisory Committee on Cultural Affairs in the [[Nordic countries]].
Vigdís ran in the [[1980 Icelandic presidential election|1980 presidential election]].<ref name="Topping">{{Cite news |last=Topping |first=Alexandra |date=2017-12-07 |title=There's proof: electing women radically improves life for mothers and families |language=en-GB |work=The Guardian |url=https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2017/dec/06/iceland-women-government-better-for-mothers-america-lessons |access-date=2023-10-07 |issn=0261-3077}}</ref> During her campaign, her anti-military position and her opposition to a United States presence in Iceland led to allegations that she was sympathetic to communism.<ref name=":5">{{Cite web |title="What now happens in the world is utterly awful," Vigdís Finnbogadóttir |url=https://thebarentsobserver.com/en/security/2016/10/what-now-happens-world-utterly-awful-vigdis-finnbogadottir |access-date=2023-10-07 |website=The Independent Barents Observer |language=en}}</ref> Vigdís ran for president to prove that women were able to lead political campaigns, and she did not expect to win.<ref name="Topping" /> Despite this, Vigdís won the election on 29 June 1980.<ref name="icelandmag" /> The vote was split between four candidates, and she prevailed with 33.6% of the vote.<ref name="Inga" />{{Rp|page=42}} Vigdís took office on 1 August 1980.<ref name="France24" /> She is the fourth president of Iceland and the first woman to ever be democratically elected as a [[head of state]] in any country.<ref name="Inga" />{{Rp|page=39}}<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://icelandmonitor.mbl.is/news/politics_and_society/2016/11/08/history_the_world_s_first_democratically_elected_fe/|title=History: The world's first democratically elected female president|website=Iceland Monitor|date=November 8, 2016}}</ref> Shortly after she took office, the number of women in the [[Althing]] saw a significant increase.<ref name="Topping" />


Vigdís was re-elected without opposition in the [[1984 Icelandic presidential election|1984 presidential election]].<ref name="Inga" />{{Rp|page=36}} She oversaw the [[Reykjavík Summit]] on 11–12 October 1986 between American president [[Ronald Reagan]] and Soviet president [[Mikhail Gorbachev]], which is credited with improving relations between the countries and bringing the [[Cold War]] closer to an end.<ref name=":5" /> In the [[1988 Icelandic presidential election|1988 presidential election]], Vigdís became the first incumbent president of Iceland to face a challenger in the presidential election. The challenger fared poorly, and Vigdís won with 92.7% of the vote.<ref name="Inga" />{{Rp|page=42}} She was again re-elected without opposition in 1992.<ref name="Inga" />{{Rp|page=36}}
In 1996 she became founding chair of the [[Council of Women World Leaders]] at the [[John F. Kennedy School of Government]] at [[Harvard University]]. Two years later she was appointed president of the [[United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization]] World Commission on the Ethics of Scientific Knowledge and Technology.


Though the presidency is mostly ceremonial, Vigdís became an active president, using the role to represent the nation and to inform the national identity through cultural initiatives.<ref name="Inga" />{{Rp|page=42}} Vigdís is an [[environmentalist]], and she used her presidency as a platform to advocate for environmental issues. She led a campaign for [[reforestation]] in Iceland, and she called for the prevention of [[topsoil loss]].<ref name="icelandmag" /> Vigdís is also a [[pacifist]],<ref name="Inga" />{{Rp|page=42}} and she describes herself as a "peace person".<ref name=":5" /> She was also an advocate for [[gay rights]] as president.<ref name="Inga" />{{Rp|page=43}}
==President of Iceland==
In 1980 she was the first woman in the world to be elected the head of state in a democratic election, despite being a divorced single mother (she adopted a daughter in 1972). Vigdís had been drafted as a candidate for the presidency of Iceland; she was narrowly elected, with 33.6 percent of the national vote, over three male opponents. She was subsequently reelected three times, unopposed1984 and 1992, but with about 95% of the votes cast in 1988. She retired in 1996. Although the Icelandic presidency is largely a ceremonial position, she took an active role as a cultural ambassador in promoting the country and enjoyed great popularity.


The decision Vigdís considered "the most difficult episode" of her career took place in 1994 during the debate on joining the [[European Economic Area]]. A strong opposition existed against [[European integration]] in Iceland, but Vigdís supported the [[European Union]] and [[European integration]], and she refused to use her presidential [[veto]] to block Iceland's association with the European Economic Area.<ref name="France24" /> Vigdís decided not to run for a fifth term as president, and her tenure ended in August 1996.<ref name="Inga" />{{Rp|page=42}} She served for 16 years. To date, she is the longest-serving female elected head of state in recorded history.<ref name="Inga" />{{Rp|page=43}}[[File:President Ronald Reagan walks with President Vigdis Finnbogadottir of Iceland.jpg|thumb|During the [[Reykjavík Summit]], President [[Ronald Reagan]] walks with Vigdis at [[Bessastaðir]]]]
In 1993 the work ''Mitt Folk'' commissioned by the British government by [[Oliver Kentish]] was dedicated to her as a gift from Britain to Iceland celebrating the 50th anniversary of the republic.<ref name="cadenza">{{cite web |url=http://www.cadenza.org/musicians/pages.cgi?id=1047 |title=Cadenza Musicians Directory |accessdate=2008-12-02}}</ref>


==Honours==
==Post-presidency==
Vigdís became the founding chair of the [[Council of Women World Leaders]] in 1996, and she was first chair of the World Commission on the Ethics in Scientific Knowledge and Technology from 1997 to 2001.<ref name="Inga" />{{Rp|pages=36–37}} Since 1998, Vigdís has served as [[UNESCO]]'s [[Goodwill Ambassador]] for languages.<ref>{{Cite web |last= |date=2021-06-22 |title=H.E. Vigdís Finnbogadottir |url=https://en.unesco.org/goodwill-ambassadors/vigdis-finnbogadottir |access-date=2023-10-07 |website=UNESCO |language=en}}</ref> She is also a member of the [[Jacques Chirac Foundation for Sustainable Development and Cultural Dialogue|Fondation Chirac]]'s honour committee.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.fondationchirac.eu/en/foundation/honour-committee/|title=Honor Committee|access-date=22 May 2018}}</ref>
She has received [[honorary degree]]s from the following Universities:

*[[University of Grenoble]], [[France]] (1985)
Vigdís continued her peace advocacy after her tenure as president ended. In 2016, she expressed her desire for the United States and Russia to visit Iceland to resolve their differences through discussion as they did during the Reykjavík Summit. She has described the relations between the two countries as a new Cold War.<ref name=":5" />
*[[University of Bordeaux]], [[France]] (1987)

*[[Smith College]], [[United States|U.S.]] (1988)
Vigdís is a member of the [[Club of Madrid]].<ref>{{cite web
*[[Luther College (Iowa)|Luther College]], [[United States|U.S.]] (1989)
| title = Club of Madrid: Full Members
*[[University of Manitoba]], [[Canada]] (1989)
| publisher=[[Club of Madrid]]
*[[University of Nottingham]], [[UK|Britain]] (1990)
| year = 2019
*[[University of Tampere]], [[Finland]] (1990)
| url = http://www.clubmadrid.org/miembro/vigdis-finnbogadottir/
*[[University of Gothenburg]], [[Sweden]] (1990)
| access-date =27 October 2019}}</ref>
*[[Gakushuin University|The Gakushuin University in Tokyo]], [[Japan]] (1991)

*[[University of Miami]], [[United States|U.S.]] (1993)
== Honours ==
*[[Norwegian University of Science and Technology|University of Trondeim]], [[Norway]] (1993) <ref>{{cite web
===National honours===
| title = President Vigdis blir æresdoktor ved UNIT
*{{Flag|Iceland}}:
| publisher = [[Aftenposten (Norwegian newspaper)]]
**[[File:ISL Icelandic Order of the Falcon - Grand Cross BAR.png|70px]] Grand Cross with Collar of the [[Order of the Falcon]] (1 August 1980)<ref>{{cite web|url=http://falkadb.forseti.is/orduskra/fal03.php?term=Vigd%EDs+Finnbogad%F3ttir&sub=Leita|archive-url=http://wayback.vefsafn.is/wayback/20160827074419/http://falkadb.forseti.is/orduskra/fal03.php?term=Vigd%EDs+Finnbogad%F3ttir&sub=Leita|url-status=dead|archive-date=27 August 2016|title=Icelandic Presidency Website|access-date=22 May 2018}}</ref>

===Foreign honours===
*{{Flag|Finland}}:
**[[File:FIN Order of the White Rose Grand Cross BAR.png|70px]] Grand Cross with Collar of the [[Order of the White Rose]] (1982)<ref>{{Cite web |title=Suomen Valkoisen Ruusun ritarikunnan suurristin ketjuineen ulkomaalaiset saajat |date=9 October 2020 |publisher=Suomen Valkoisen Ruusun ja Suomen Leijonan ritarikunnat |access-date=14 December 2023 |url= https://ritarikunnat.fi/ritarikunnat/palkitut/suomen-valkoisen-ruusun-ritarikunnan-suurristin-ketjuineen-ulkomaalaiset-saajat/ |language=fi}}</ref>
*{{Flag|Netherlands}}:
**[[File:NLD Order of the Dutch Lion - Grand Cross BAR.png|70px]] Knight Grand Cross of the [[Order of the Netherlands Lion]] (18 September 1985)<ref>State visit, 1994, [http://www.anp-archief.nl/page/2225053/nl Photo] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130603071913/http://www.anp-archief.nl/page/2225053/nl |date=3 June 2013 }} of Beatrix, Claus and Icelandese President</ref>
*{{Flag|Spain}}:
**[[File:Order of Charles III - Sash of Collar.svg|70px]] Knight Grand Cross with Collar of the [[Order of Charles III]] (11 September 1985)<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.boe.es/boe/dias/1985/09/14/pdfs/A29024-29024.pdf|title=Boletín Oficial del Estado|website=boe.es |date=September 14, 1985}}</ref>
*{{Flag|United Kingdom}}:
**[[File:Order of the Bath UK ribbon.svg|70px]] Honorary Dame Grand Cross of the [[Order of the Bath]] (25 June 1990)<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.gettyimages.fi/detail/news-photo/queen-elizabeth-ii-and-prince-philip-with-president-vigdis-news-photo/52105346|title=Queen Iceland|website=gettyimages.fi |date=June 25, 1990|access-date=22 May 2018}}</ref>

===Honorary degrees===
*[[Bordeaux Montaigne University|Université Bordeaux Montaigne]], (former Université Bordeaux 3), [[France]] (1987)<ref>[https://www.instagram.com/p/C76-lTtoLbX/?igsh=MXV4ZDBqZDFsYWZkOA== Université Bordeaux Montaigne IG]</ref>
*[[Norwegian University of Science and Technology|University of Trondheim]], [[Norway]] (1993)<ref>{{cite news
| title = President Vigdis blir æresdoktor ved UNIT
| newspaper=[[Aftenposten]]
| year = 1993
| year = 1993
| url = http://eavis.aftenposten.no/aftenposten/71156/archive/demo/?page=10&query=vigdis+finnbogadottir+trondheim
| url = http://eavis.aftenposten.no/aftenposten/71156/archive/demo/?page=10&query=vigdis+finnbogadottir+trondheim
| accessdate = 2010-08-02}}</ref> <ref>{{cite web
| access-date =2 August 2010}}</ref>

| title = Æresdoktor Vigdis talte i historisk by
== See also ==
| publisher = [[Aftenposten (Norwegian newspaper)]]

| year = 1993
* [[List of the first women holders of political offices]]
| url = http://onlinesos.aftenposten.no/tjenester/archive/show.htm?catalog=71797&page=40&query=vigdis+finnbogadottir+trondheim&date=29.10.1993
| accessdate = 2010-08-02}}</ref>
*[[Saint Mary's University (Halifax)|St. Mary's University in Halifax]], [[Canada]] (1996)
*[[University of Leeds]], Britain (1996)
*[[Memorial University of Newfoundland]], [[Canada]] (1997)
*[[University of Guelph]], [[Canada]] (1998)
*[[University of Iceland]], [[Iceland]] (2000)


==References==
==References==
{{Reflist}}
{{notelist}}
{{Reflist|30em}}


==External links==
==External links==
{{commons category}}
*[http://english.forseti.is/Index/FormerPresidents/VigdisFinnbogadottir/ official cv]
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20150204072353/http://english.forseti.is/FormerPresidents/VigdisFinnbogadottir Official CV]
*[http://www.vigdis.hi.is/id/1011215 Vigdís Finnbogadóttir Institute of Foreign Languages]
*[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6y7rK_Av65Y Video interview by the Nordic Culture Fund] {{in lang|da}}
*[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UpaTJan8zsw Video interview by the School of Humanities of the University of Iceland] {{in lang|is}}
*[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZWp-NNqtL-k Video message for the Women in Parliaments Global Forum] {{in lang|en}}


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{{s-ttl|title=[[President of Iceland]]|years=1980–1996}}
{{s-ttl|title=[[President of Iceland]]|years=1980–1996}}
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{{s-aft|after={{nowrap|[[Ólafur Ragnar Grímsson]]}}}}
|-
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{{s-ttl|title=Chair of the [[Council of Women World Leaders]]|years=1996–1999}}
{{s-aft|after=[[Kim Campbell]]}}
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{{Presidents of Iceland}}
{{IcelandicPresidents}}
{{Authority control}}


<!-- Metadata: see [[Wikipedia:Persondata]] -->
{{Persondata
|NAME= Finnbogadóttir, Vigdís
|ALTERNATIVE NAMES=
|SHORT DESCRIPTION= [[President of Iceland]],1980 to 1996
|DATE OF BIRTH= 1930-04-15
|PLACE OF BIRTH= [[Reykjavík]], [[Iceland]]
|DATE OF DEATH=
|PLACE OF DEATH=
}}


{{DEFAULTSORT:Finnbogadottir, Vigdis}}
[[Category:1930 births]]
[[Category:1930 births]]
[[Category:Female heads of state]]
[[Category:History of Iceland]]
[[Category:Icelandic women in politics]]
[[Category:John F. Kennedy School of Government staff]]
[[Category:Knights Grand Cross of the Royal Norwegian Order of St. Olav]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:People from Reykjavík]]
[[Category:Presidents of Iceland|Vigdis Finnbogadottir]]
[[Category:Presidents of Iceland]]
[[Category:Politicians from Reykjavík|Vigdis Finnbogadottir]]
[[Category:Recipients of the Order of the Falcon]]
[[Category:UNESCO Goodwill Ambassadors]]
[[Category:Knights of the Elephant]]
[[Category:Grenoble Alpes University alumni]]
[[Category:University of Grenoble alumni]]
[[Category:Harvard Kennedy School staff]]
[[Category:University of Paris alumni]]
[[Category:University of Paris alumni]]
[[Category:University of Copenhagen alumni]]

[[Category:University of Iceland alumni|Vigdis Finnbogadottir]]
[[ang:Vigdís Finnbogadóttir]]
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[[br:Vigdís Finnbogadóttir]]
[[Category:Women presidents in Europe]]
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[[da:Vigdís Finnbogadóttir]]
[[Category:Grand Cross of the Legion of Honour]]
[[de:Vigdís Finnbogadóttir]]
[[Category:Recipients of the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres]]
[[et:Vigdís Finnbogadóttir]]
[[Category:Recipients of the Order of the Netherlands Lion]]
[[el:Βιγκντίς Φινμπογκαντότιρ]]
[[Category:Order of the White Rose of Finland]]
[[es:Vigdís Finnbogadóttir]]
[[Category:Knights Grand Cross with Collar of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic]]
[[eo:Vigdís Finnbogadóttir]]
[[Category:Grand Crosses Special Class of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany]]
[[fr:Vigdís Finnbogadóttir]]
[[Category:Honorary Dames Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath]]
[[ga:Vigdís Finnbogadóttir]]
[[Category:Honorary Dames Grand Cross of the Order of St Michael and St George]]
[[gv:Vigdís Finnbogadóttir]]
[[Category:20th-century women presidents]]
[[ko:비그디스 핀보가도티르]]
[[Category:Icelandic women diplomats|Vigdis Finnbogadottir]]
[[io:Vigdís Finnbogadóttir]]
[[Category:20th-century Icelandic politicians|Vigdis Finnbogadottir]]
[[ilo:Vigdís Finnbogadóttir]]
[[Category:Female heads of state]]
[[id:Vigdís Finnbogadóttir]]
[[Category:Icelandic expatriates in France|Vigdis Finnbogadottir]]
[[is:Vigdís Finnbogadóttir]]
[[Category:Recipients of the Order of the Falcon|Vigdis Finnbogadottir]]
[[it:Vigdís Finnbogadóttir]]
[[Category:First women presidents in Europe]]
[[ka:ვიგდის ფინბოგადოტირი]]
[[Category:20th-century presidents in Europe]]
[[mr:विग्दिस फिनबोगादॉट्टिर]]
[[nl:Vigdís Finnbogadóttir]]
[[ja:ヴィグディス・フィンボガドゥティル]]
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[[ru:Вигдис Финнбогадоттир]]
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[[sv:Vigdís Finnbogadóttir]]
[[zh:维格迪丝·芬博阿多蒂尔]]

Latest revision as of 00:29, 30 December 2024

This is an Icelandic name. The last name is patronymic, not a family name; this person is referred to by the given name Vigdís.
Vigdís Finnbogadóttir
Vigdís in 1985
4th President of Iceland
In office
1 August 1980 – 1 August 1996
Prime MinisterGunnar Thoroddsen
Steingrímur Hermannsson
Þorsteinn Pálsson
Davíð Oddsson
Preceded byKristján Eldjárn
Succeeded byÓlafur Ragnar Grímsson
Personal details
Born (1930-04-15) 15 April 1930 (age 94)
Reykjavík, Iceland
Spouse
Ragnar Arinbjarnar
​
​
(m. 1954; div. 1961)​
Children1 (adopted)
Alma materUniversity of Paris
University of Grenoble
University of Copenhagen
University of Iceland

Vigdís Finnbogadóttir (Icelandic: [ˈvɪɣtis ˈfɪnpɔɣaˌtouʰtɪr̥] ⓘ; born 15 April 1930) is an Icelandic politician who served as the fourth president of Iceland from 1980 to 1996. Vigdís is the first woman in the world to be democratically elected as president.[a] Having served as president of Iceland for 16 years, she is the longest-serving elected female head of state in history. She is the first female president in Icelandic history, while later being followed by the current president, Halla Tómasdóttir, as the second female president. Vigdís is a UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador and a member of the Club of Madrid.

Early life and career

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Vigdís was born on 15 April 1930 in Reykjavík.[1] Her father was a civil engineer, and her mother was a nurse who headed the national nurses association.[2]: 41  The following year, her younger brother Þorvaldur was born; he did not survive to adulthood, as he drowned in Hreðavatn.[3] Vigdís enrolled at the University of Grenoble in 1949, later switching to the Sorbonne.[4] She studied English and French literature, giving special emphasis to plays,[2]: 41  and she graduated in 1953.[4]

Vigdís was married in 1954.[4] The same year, she began acting,[5] co-founding a theatre group. She also worked on the translation of several French plays.[1] She enrolled at the University of Copenhagen in 1957, where she studied theatre history until the following year.[4] She was divorced in 1963.[4] Vigdís participated in the anti-military rallies that took place in the 1960s and 1970s, protesting the United States military presence in Iceland.[2]: 41  Vigdís adopted a daughter in 1972,[2]: 42  making her the first single woman in Iceland to adopt a child.[4]

Vigdís taught French lessons on television for RÚV beginning in 1972, making her a well known figure throughout the nation.[2]: 41  In the same year, she was appointed the artistic director of the Reykjavík Theatre Company.[5] She became a member of the Advisory Committee on Cultural Affairs in the Nordic Countries in 1976, and she became the organisation's chair in 1978.[2]: 41  She continued in all of these positions until she became President of Iceland in 1980.[2]: 41 [5] Other jobs she held early in life included her work as a French teacher at several colleges, including at the University of Iceland, and her work as a tour guide with the Icelandic Tourist Bureau in the summers. She eventually became the head of the Icelandic Tourist Bureau.[4]

Presidency (1980–1996)

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Vigdís ran in the 1980 presidential election.[6] During her campaign, her anti-military position and her opposition to a United States presence in Iceland led to allegations that she was sympathetic to communism.[7] Vigdís ran for president to prove that women were able to lead political campaigns, and she did not expect to win.[6] Despite this, Vigdís won the election on 29 June 1980.[4] The vote was split between four candidates, and she prevailed with 33.6% of the vote.[2]: 42  Vigdís took office on 1 August 1980.[5] She is the fourth president of Iceland and the first woman to ever be democratically elected as a head of state in any country.[2]: 39 [8] Shortly after she took office, the number of women in the Althing saw a significant increase.[6]

Vigdís was re-elected without opposition in the 1984 presidential election.[2]: 36  She oversaw the Reykjavík Summit on 11–12 October 1986 between American president Ronald Reagan and Soviet president Mikhail Gorbachev, which is credited with improving relations between the countries and bringing the Cold War closer to an end.[7] In the 1988 presidential election, Vigdís became the first incumbent president of Iceland to face a challenger in the presidential election. The challenger fared poorly, and Vigdís won with 92.7% of the vote.[2]: 42  She was again re-elected without opposition in 1992.[2]: 36 

Though the presidency is mostly ceremonial, Vigdís became an active president, using the role to represent the nation and to inform the national identity through cultural initiatives.[2]: 42  Vigdís is an environmentalist, and she used her presidency as a platform to advocate for environmental issues. She led a campaign for reforestation in Iceland, and she called for the prevention of topsoil loss.[4] Vigdís is also a pacifist,[2]: 42  and she describes herself as a "peace person".[7] She was also an advocate for gay rights as president.[2]: 43 

The decision Vigdís considered "the most difficult episode" of her career took place in 1994 during the debate on joining the European Economic Area. A strong opposition existed against European integration in Iceland, but Vigdís supported the European Union and European integration, and she refused to use her presidential veto to block Iceland's association with the European Economic Area.[5] Vigdís decided not to run for a fifth term as president, and her tenure ended in August 1996.[2]: 42  She served for 16 years. To date, she is the longest-serving female elected head of state in recorded history.[2]: 43 

During the Reykjavík Summit, President Ronald Reagan walks with Vigdis at Bessastaðir

Post-presidency

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Vigdís became the founding chair of the Council of Women World Leaders in 1996, and she was first chair of the World Commission on the Ethics in Scientific Knowledge and Technology from 1997 to 2001.[2]: 36–37  Since 1998, Vigdís has served as UNESCO's Goodwill Ambassador for languages.[9] She is also a member of the Fondation Chirac's honour committee.[10]

Vigdís continued her peace advocacy after her tenure as president ended. In 2016, she expressed her desire for the United States and Russia to visit Iceland to resolve their differences through discussion as they did during the Reykjavík Summit. She has described the relations between the two countries as a new Cold War.[7]

Vigdís is a member of the Club of Madrid.[11]

Honours

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National honours

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Foreign honours

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Honorary degrees

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See also

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References

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  1. ^ Isabel Perón was the first woman in the world who served as President (1974), but she had been elected Vice President (1973) and only took office by succession, when her husband President Juan Perón died in office. Khertek Anchimaa-Toka in 1940 was the first non-royal female head of state in the modern era, but was titled Chairwoman of the Presidium. The first female head of government after an election was Sirimavo Bandaranaike, who became the Prime Minister of Ceylon in 1960.
  1. ^ a b "Former President Vigdís Finnbogadóttir Turns 90 Today". Iceland Monitor. Retrieved 7 October 2023.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r Snaebjornsson, Inga Minelgaite (2016). ""President Vigdís": The End and the Beginning of Women's Agenda in Iceland". In Erçetin, Şefika Şule (ed.). Women Leaders in Chaotic Environments: Examinations of Leadership Using Complexity Theory. Lecture Notes in Social Networks. Springer. pp. 35–47. doi:10.1007/978-3-319-44758-2. ISBN 978-3-319-44758-2. S2CID 1414678.
  3. ^ Einarsdóttir, Júlía Margrét (19 April 2020). ""Ég missti þann förunaut sem hefði fylgt mér alla ævi"". RÚV.
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h i "First female head of state, Vigdís Finnbogadóttir, elected 35 years ago today". Icelandmag. 29 June 2015. Retrieved 7 October 2023.
  5. ^ a b c d e "Vigdis Finnbogadottir, the world's first elected female president". France 24. 31 July 2020. Retrieved 7 October 2023.
  6. ^ a b c Topping, Alexandra (7 December 2017). "There's proof: electing women radically improves life for mothers and families". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 7 October 2023.
  7. ^ a b c d ""What now happens in the world is utterly awful," Vigdís Finnbogadóttir". The Independent Barents Observer. Retrieved 7 October 2023.
  8. ^ "History: The world's first democratically elected female president". Iceland Monitor. 8 November 2016.
  9. ^ "H.E. Vigdís Finnbogadottir". UNESCO. 22 June 2021. Retrieved 7 October 2023.
  10. ^ "Honor Committee". Retrieved 22 May 2018.
  11. ^ "Club of Madrid: Full Members". Club of Madrid. 2019. Retrieved 27 October 2019.
  12. ^ "Icelandic Presidency Website". Archived from the original on 27 August 2016. Retrieved 22 May 2018.
  13. ^ "Suomen Valkoisen Ruusun ritarikunnan suurristin ketjuineen ulkomaalaiset saajat" (in Finnish). Suomen Valkoisen Ruusun ja Suomen Leijonan ritarikunnat. 9 October 2020. Retrieved 14 December 2023.
  14. ^ State visit, 1994, Photo Archived 3 June 2013 at the Wayback Machine of Beatrix, Claus and Icelandese President
  15. ^ "Boletín Oficial del Estado" (PDF). boe.es. 14 September 1985.
  16. ^ "Queen Iceland". gettyimages.fi. 25 June 1990. Retrieved 22 May 2018.
  17. ^ Université Bordeaux Montaigne IG
  18. ^ "President Vigdis blir æresdoktor ved UNIT". Aftenposten. 1993. Retrieved 2 August 2010.
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Vigdís Finnbogadóttir.
Political offices
Preceded by President of Iceland
1980–1996 		Succeeded by
Diplomatic posts
New office Chair of the Council of Women World Leaders
1996–1999 		Succeeded by
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