Norway

Kingdom of Norway
Flag
Location  Europe
Capital  Oslo
Area  323,802 sq km
Population  5,372,191

"There's no time like the present"
(Proverb/Quote of the Week)

Daily Positive (D+) is a non-profit media initiative and it heavily relies on the generous support from everyone. Please consider a donation today. For more information send us email at info@dailypositive.org

January

January 1 Norwegian chess Grandmaster Magnus Carlsen achieved the highest-ever World Chess Federation official rating (2861) in 2013 based on Elo rating system, breaking Garry Kasparov's 13-year record. Norwegian chess Grandmaster Magnus Carlsen, 19, officially became the youngest ever world number one in the world rankings on January 1, 2010. January 2 January 3 January 4 January 5 Norway became the first country in the world where the sale of electric cars has overtaken those powered by petrol, diesel and hybrid engines, according to figures published on 5 January 2021 by industry group Opplysningsradet for Veitrafikken. January 6 January 7 January 8 January 9 Norway topped the Democracy Index of the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) with an overall score of 9.87, as published on 9 January 2019. January 10 January 11 January 12 January 13 Norway had the highest proportions (35.5%) of women in corporate boardrooms in 2014, according to a study of major economies published on 13 January 2015 by the New York based organization Catalyst Inc. January 14 January 15 January 16 January 17 January 18 January 19 Norwegian Prime Minister Erna Solberg and Ghanaian President John Dramani Mahama were appointed as co-chairs of a group of 16 eminent Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) Advocates on 19 January 2016 to help achieve the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, which seeks to eliminate poverty, hunger and a raft of social ills, all within 15 years. January 20 January 21 January 22 Norway topped the list of Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) Democracy Index with an overall score of 9.71 published on 22 January 2020, which rates the state of democracy across 167 countries based on five measures—electoral process and pluralism, the functioning of government, political participation, democratic political culture and civil liberties. Norway ranked fourth at the 2019 Global Talent Competitiveness Index (GTCI), compiled by INSEAD global business school, that measures a nation's competitiveness based on the quality of talent it can develop, attract and retain. Norway topped the World Economic Forum's 2018 Inclusive Development Index's (IDI) list of advanced economies, an annual assessment of 103 countries’ economic performance that measures how countries perform on eleven dimensions of economic progress in addition to GDP. January 23 A team of researchers from Norway, Sweden and the United States has found a genetic switch allowed dogs to adapt to a starch-rich diet and evolve from meat-munching wolves into Man's leftover-loving best friend. The research findings, comparison of the genetic code of the domestic dog to that of its wolf cousins, were published on 23 January 2013 in the journal Nature. January 24 January 25 Norway topped the Democracy Index compiled by the UK based Economist Intelligence Unit with a near-perfect score of 9.93 out of 10, as published on 25 January 2017. Norway ranked as the fifth least corrupt nation in the world, according to the Global Corruption Index published by Transparency International on 25 January 2017. January 26 January 27 January 28 January 29 Wild African elephants prefer to live in safer, protected areas and become stressed when they leave them, according to a research study published by Norwegian and Tanzanian scientists on 29 January 2013 in the African Journal of Ecology. The study aimed to determine African elephants' welfare inside Serengeti National Park and in the partially-protected adjoining areas of Grumeti Game Reserve and Ikoma Open Area, where human disturbance is greater. January 30 January 31

February

February 1 Trygve Lie, a Norwegian politician, served as the first Secretary-General of the United Nations from 1st February 1946 to 10th November 1952. February 2 Norway topped the Economist Intelligence Unit's Democracy Index, published on 2 February 2021, that looks to provide a snapshot of the current state of democracy worldwide for 167 countries. February 3 February 4 Gro Harlem Brundtland was the three time female Prime Minister of Norway. Her first term in office started on 4th February 1981. February 5 Norwegian cross-country skier Therese Johaug powered to victory in the women's skiathlon race to take the first gold medal of the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics. February 6 February 7 February 8 Norwegian Ole Einar Bjoerndalen and Marit Bjoergen won golds in Men's Sprint 10 km and Ladies' Skiathlon 7.5 km Classic + 7.5 km Free respectively at the 2014 Olympic Winter Games. February 9 February 10 February 11 Norway put on a dominant show to win Gold, Silver and Bronze in Men's 15km + 15km Skiathlon at the Pyeongchang 2018 Winter Olympics. February 12 Norway was the proud organizer of the 1994 Winter Olympic Games held in Lillehammer from February 12 to 27, 1994. It was the first time that Winter Olympics were staged two years apart. February 13 February 14 Norway hosted the sixth Winter Olympic Games from February 14 to February 25, 1952 in Oslo. A total of 30 nations sent athletes to compete at this Olympic, which was the highest number to that date. February 15 Aksel Lund Svindal of Norway won gold medal in Men's Downhill at the Pyeongchang 2018 Winter Olympics. Norwegian Anders Fannemel broke the ski jumping world record on 15 February 2015 by jumping 251.5 meters at Vikersund in Norway. February 16 Kjetil Jansrud of Norway won gold in Men's Super-G at the 2014 Sochi Olympic Winter Games. February 17 Teeth from mammoths buried in the Siberian permafrost for more than a million years have yielded the world's oldest DNA ever sequenced, according to a study by a team of Norwegian and international scientists published on 17 February 2021. February 18 Norway ranked first in the Child Flourishing Index, a ranking based on a range of measures pertaining to children’s well-being, according to a report by the World Health Organization, United Nations Children's Fund and the Lancet published on 18 February 2020. February 19 February 20 Norway ranked as the world’s eighth safest country for the newborn with eighth lowest newborn mortality rates, according to an official report published by UNICEF on 20 February 2018. February 21 Norway ranked as the third least corrupt country in the world according to Transparency International’s Corruption Perceptions Index published on 21 February 2018. February 22 February 23 February 24 A long-lost microcontinent hidden underneath the Indian Ocean island of Mauritius between Madagascar and India has been discovered, according to a study published by Norwegian researchers along with their international colleagues on 24 February 2013 in the journal Nature Geoscience. February 25 February 26 February 27 February 28 February 29

March

March 1 Scientists from Norway and their international colleagues have discovered the remains of microorganisms in Quebec, Canada that are at least 3.77 billion years old, providing direct evidence of one of the oldest life forms on Earth. Their findings were published in the journal Nature on 1 March 2017. March 2 Norway ranked second in the list of the Global Energy Index 2016 published by the World Economic Forum (WEF), showcasing the country's ability to deliver secure, affordable and sustainable energy. March 3 Norway's Tora Berger won the women's overall title in the 2012–13 Biathlon World Cup on 3 March 2013 in Oslo. It was Tora's maiden World Cup title. March 4 March 5 Norway’s John Kristian Dahl won the men’s Vasaloppet 2017 cross-country ski race - dubbed as the world’s oldest, biggest and longest ski race. March 6 March 7 March 8 March 9 March 10 March 11 March 12 Norwegian scientists were awarded 4 research grants by the European Research Council (ERC) on 12 March 2015 as part of the European Union Research and Innovation programme Horizon 2020. Mariann Vestbøstad Marthinsen won Norway’s first gold medal at the 2014 Winter Paralympics in Sochi in the seated cross country ski sprint. March 13 March 14 March 15 Norway was ranked as the world's second happiest country according to the annual UN report released on 15 March 2018. March 16 Norway ranked as the fourth happiest country in the world according to the 2016 United Nations (UN) World Happiness Report. March 17 March 18 March 19 March 20 Norway was named as the sixth happiest country in the world, according to an annual U.N. Sustainable Development Solutions Network report published on 20 March 2021. Europe's first underwater restaurant, named Under, was opened in the small town of Båly in Norway on 20 March 2019. Norway was crowned as the third happiest country to live according to the UN's seventh annual World Happiness Report published on 20 March 2019. Norway was ranked as the happiest country on Earth, according to a United Nations Sustainable Development Solutions Network report published on 20 March 2017. March 21 March 22 March 23 March 24 March 25 Norway ranked third at the 2019 Energy Transition Index (ETI) published by World Economic Forum (WEF) on 25 March 2019, which indicates how well countries around the world are able to balance energy security and environmental sustainability and affordability. March 26 March 27 March 28 Norway's ex-PM Jens Stoltenberg was named as Secretary General of North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and Chairman of the North Atlantic Council on 28 March 2014. March 29 March 30 March 31

April

April 1 April 2 April 3 April 4 April 5 April 6 April 7 A 1000-year-old wooden toy Viking boat was unearthed in Norway, as reported on 7 April 2017. The discovery gives archaeologists tantalizing clues about the culture that produced the object. April 8 April 9 Norway and Tanzania signed an agreement on 9 April 2013 under which Norway will provide NOK 700 million ($122 million) to Tanzania over a four-year period. This funding will be channelled to a rural energy fund in Tanzania that will give people in rural areas access to electricity. April 10 April 11 April 12 April 13 April 14 April 15 Mona Grudt from Norway was crowned the Miss Universe title in 1990 at the age of 19. Mona became the first Norwegian to capture the Miss Universe title. April 16 Arkona offshore wind farm with a capacity of 385 MW, a joint venture between Norway's Equinor and Germany's Eon, in the Baltic Sea was officially opened on 16 April 2019. April 17 April 18 Norway took the top spot at the 2019 World Press Freedom Index, which evaluates the state of journalism in 180 countries and territories every year, published by Reporters Without Borders. April 19 Norwegian photographer Werner Anderson won the 3rd prize at the 2018 Sony World Photography Awards in Still Life category. April 20 Norway ranked third at the 2016 Reporters Without Borders’ World Press Freedom Index. The Index is based on an evaluation of media freedom that measures pluralism, media independence, the quality of the legal framework and the safety of journalists in 180 countries. April 21 April 22 Scientists from the Norwegian Institute for Cultural Heritage Research (NIKU) have discovered a viking ship 30ft underground in western Norway using radars, as widely reported on 22 April 2022. Erik Solheim, a Norwegian diplomat was awarded the prestigious Champions of the Earth award by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) on April 22, 2009. He was recognized because of his global campaign for eco friendly actions. April 23 April 24 April 25 April 26 Norway ranked first at the 2017 Press Freedom Index, ranking freedom of the media in a country, compiled by Reporters Without Borders. April 27 April 28 April 29 April 30

May

May 1 May 2 May 3 May 4 Bobbysocks, a Norwegian pop duo, won the Eurovision Song Contest 1985 for the song La Det Swinge. The final took place on 4 May 1985 in Sweden. It was Norway’s first Eurovision triumph. May 5 May 6 May 7 May 8 May 9 Prime Minister of Norway Her Excellency Erna Solberg was appointed as one of the UN Sustainable Development Goals Advocates on 9 May 2019. May 10 May 11 May 12 The United Nations on 12 May 2014 announced the appointment of Major General Kristin Lund of Norway as the Force Commander of the United Nations Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus (UNFICYP). Kristin became the first woman ever to command a United Nations peacekeeping operation. May 13 Singer Secret Garden won the 1995 Eurovision Song Contest representing Norway for the song Nocturne. The contest final took place on 13 May 1995 in Dublin, Ireland. May 14 May 15 Researchers from Norway and Sweden have discovered oldest Scandinavian human DNA in a 10,000-year-old ancient chewing gum, masticated lumps made from birch bark pitch. Their findings were published in Communications Biology on 15 May 2019. May 16 The Constitution of Norway was adopted on May 16, 1814 by the Constituent Assembly at Eidsvoll, Norway. It is among the first four Constitutions in the world. Norwegians celebrate the day as National day or Independence Day. May 17 May 18 Researchers from Norway and their European colleagues have discovered that some lava-like formations on Mars are actually the product of mud that flows like lava. Their study was published on 18 May 2020 in the journal Nature Geoscience. May 19 May 20 May 21 May 22 May 23 May 24 Norwegian film director Hallvar Witzø received the Short Film Special Distinction award at the 2014 Cannes Film Festival for his film Yes We Love. May 25 May 26 Norway became the first country in the world to commit to zero deforestation in its public procurement, as announced on 26 May 2016. It will promote national commitments that encourage deforestation-free supply chains, including through public procurement policies to sustainably source commodities such as palm oil, soy, beef and timber. May 27 May 28 May 29 May 30 May 31 Norwegian footballer Ada Hegerberg was crowned BBC Women's Footballer of the Year 2017.

June

June 1 June 2 June 3 June 4 A new post-Brexit trade deal between Norway and the United Kingdom was agreed in principle on 4 June 2021, seen as a major boost for trade between the two countries. June 5 June 6 June 7 Norway was ranked as the second safest country in the world according to the annual Gallup Global Law and Order report published on 7 June 2018. June 8 June 9 June 10 June 11 June 12 June 13 Norway offers the second best family-friendly policies among 31 rich countries with available data, according to a new UNICEF report published on 13 June 2019. June 14 June 15 June 16 June 17 Norway ranked as the 17th most peaceful country in the world at the 2015 Global Peace Index published by Institute for Economics & Peace. June 18 Norway was elected as a non-permanent member of the United Nations (UN) Security Council on 18 June 2020 for two-year terms. Former Norwegian Prime Minister Gro Harlem Brundtland won the 2014 Tang Prize in Sustainable Development for her innovation, leadership and implementation of sustainable development that laid out the scientific and technical challenges for the global community to achieve a better balance of economic development, environmental integrity, and social equality for the benefit of all humanity. June 19 June 20 June 21 June 22 June 23 June 24 June 25 June 26 June 27 June 28 June 29 June 30

July

July 1 Norwegian sprinter Karsten Warholm broke a 29-year-old world record in the 400-meter hurdles when he completed the race in 46.70 seconds in front of his home fans at the Diamond League meeting in Oslo on 1 July 2021. July 2 July 3 July 4 July 5 Rjukan-Notodden Industrial Heritage Site in Norway, comprises of hydroelectric power plants, transmission lines, factories, transport systems and towns, was added to UNESCO’s World Heritage List on 5 July 2015. July 6 July 7 July 8 A team of international and Norwegian archaeologists based on DNA analysis has discovered that Indigenous Americans had contact with Polynesians 800 years ago, centuries before the arrival of Europeans. Their findings were published in the journal Nature on 8 July 2020. July 9 July 10 July 11 July 12 July 13 July 14 July 15 July 16 July 17 July 18 July 19 July 20 July 21 July 22 July 23 July 24 July 25 A massive underground lake has been detected for the first time on Mars, raising hopes that more water - and maybe even life - exists there, Norwegian astronomer revealed in the journal Science on 25 July 2018. July 26 July 27 July 28 July 29 July 30 July 31

August

August 1 August 2 August 3 August 4 August 5 Norwegian climber Kristin Harila and her Nepali guide Tenjin "Lama" Sherpa were greeted with a heroes' welcome in Nepal on 5 August 2023 after the pair successfully conquered the world's highest peaks, mount Everest, setting the record for the fastest summit of all 14 of the world's 8,000-metre (26,000-feet) mountains, completing the feat in only 92 days. Archaeologists in Norway have unearthed a Stone Age skeleton and child's skull with what appears to be remains of a fossilized brain, as reported on 5 August 2014. August 6 August 7 August 8 August 9 Norwegian photographer Terje Abusdal won the 2017 Leica Oskar Barnack Award for his photographic series Slash and Burn, a project based on the traditions of a minority living in the mysterious Forest of the Finns. August 10 August 11 August 12 Norwegian scientists have revealed that with a life expectancy of at least 272 years, the Greenland shark has the longest life expectancy of all vertebrate animals known to science. Their findings were published in the journal Science on 12 August 2016. August 13 A team of Norwegian and international scientists have revealed that a 14,000-year-old puppy, whose perfectly preserved body was found in Russia, munched on a woolly rhino for its last meal. Their findings were published in the journal Cell on 13 August 2020. August 14 Researchers from Norway and an international team have set out the first comprehensive map of mutational processes behind the development of tumors - work that should in future lead to better ways to treat and prevent a wide range of cancers. Their study, published on 14 August 2013 in the journal Nature, discovered the genetic imprints and signatures left by DNA-damaging processes that lead to cancer. August 15 August 16 August 17 August 18 August 19 August 20 August 21 August 22 August 23 August 24 Norwegian chess grandmaster Magnus Carlsen won the Chess World Cup by defeating India’s Rameshbabu Praggnanandhaa on 24 August 2023 in a final played over three days in Baku, Azerbaijan. August 25 August 26 Norwegian footballer Erling Haaland was named Forward of the Season for the UEFA Champions League on 26 August 2021 after his success with Dortmund football club. August 27 August 28 August 29 Norwegian footballer Erling Haaland was named the 2023 Professional Footballers’ Association (PFA) Players’ Player of the Year after his extraordinary debut with Manchester City. August 30 August 31

September

September 1 September 2 September 3 September 4 September 5 September 6 September 7 September 8 Norwegian researchers and their international colleagues have found that the dynamics of springtime plant growth, specifically whether green-up progresses like a wave or not, explain where deer migration occurs in many ecosystems, as revealed on 8 September 2020. September 9 September 10 September 11 September 12 Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU) researchers, Dr. Helge Weman and Professor Bjørn-Ove Fimland, have developed a new technique to fabricate semiconductors from graphene. The research was published in the journal Nano Letters on 12 September 2012. September 13 September 14 Norwegian film director Morten Tyldum's film The Imitation Game won the People's Choice Award for Best Film at the 2014 Toronto International Film Festival. September 15 Norway ranked as the top most democratic country in the world according to the Democracy Index 2014 published by the Economist on 15 September 2015. On 15 September 2010, Norway and Russia signed a treaty establishing the maritime boundary between the two countries in the Barents Sea and the Arctic Ocean which ended a bitter 40-year dispute over their maritime borders. September 16 September 17 Jostein Larsen Østring from Norway was named one of the International News Media Association's 30 under 30 award winners, recognising rising stars in the global media industry, on 17 September 2020. September 18 Norway topped the 2019 Social Progress Index prepared by Deloitte, a measure of a country’s social and environmental performance that is independent of economic factors. September 19 September 20 September 21 September 22 Prime Minister of Norway Erna Solberg received the Women of Achievement Award on 22 September 2017 for her extraordinary leadership and dedication to Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment. September 23 September 24 September 25 Europe won the Solheim Cup, a golf tournament for professional women golfers contested by teams from Europe and the United States, for the first time since 2003 on 25 September 2011, finishing powerfully to beat the United States, 15-13, at Killeen Castle in Dunsany, Ireland. Norway's Suzann Pettersen turned the momentum Europe's way when she recovered from 1 down with birdies on the last three holes to beat Michelle Wie from the United States by one hole. September 26 September 27 Norway and Poland officially opened a new gas pipeline, the Baltic Pipe, via Denmark on 27 September 2022. September 28 September 29 September 30 Norway ranked as the 11th most competitive country in the world, according to a World Economic Forum report released on 30 September 2015. This report, provides insight into the drivers of a country’s productivity and prosperity, suggests Norway has been nurturing innovation and talent.

October

October 1 Norway named best country to grow old, according to HelpAge International's Global AgeWatch Index 2014. The index measures the social and economic welfare of those aged over 60. October 2 October 3 October 4 October 5 October 6 May‐Britt Moser and Edvard I. Moser from the Norwegian University of Science and Technology in Trondheim were awarded with one half of the 2014 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine, jointly with John O´Keefe from England, for their discoveries of cells that constitute a positioning system in the brain. October 7 October 8 October 9 October 10 October 11 Norway clinched the third spot on the 2016 Girls’ Opportunity Index released by Save the Children, a global index that provides a snapshot of the situation of girls in respective countries according to their opportunity to control their own lives and to fulfill their potential. Professor Trygve Haavelmo from Norway won the 1989 Nobel Prize in Economics for his clarification of the probability theory foundations of econometrics and his analyses of simultaneous economic structures. October 12 October 13 October 14 October 15 Archaeologists armed with a motorized high resolution georadar have found a Viking ship and a large number of burial mounds and longhouses in Østfold County in Norway, as revealed on 15 October 2018. October 16 October 17 Norwegian solar panel maker Saga Energy on 17 October 2017 signed a deal worth 2.5 billion euros ($2.9 billion) with Iran's state-owned company Amin Energy Developers to build solar power plants in Iran. October 18 October 19 October 20 October 21 October 22 October 23 October 24 October 25 October 26 October 27 October 28 According to the Global Gender Gap Report 2014 by the World Economic Forum, Norway ranked third. The report seeks to measure the relative gaps between women and men participations across four key areas: health, education, economy and politics. October 29 October 30 October 31

November

November 1 Norway was named as the most positive country from Europe at the World’s Most Positive Countries 2017. Norway ranked as the tenth most positive country at the World’s Most Positive Countries 2015. November 2 Norway was ranked as the world‘s second most gender-equal country, according to the World Economic Forum‘s Global Gender Gap index published on 2 November 2017. November 3 Norway took the second place at the Legatum Prosperity Index 2016, making it as one of the best places in the world to live. Norway topped the list of the most prosperous country in the world, according to the Legatum Institute's 2014 Prosperity Index. November 4 November 5 Norway formally joined the 51-nation-group Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) devoted to building up cooperation between Asia and Europe on political, economic and social issues on 5 November 2012 at the 9th Asia-Europe Meeting Summit of Heads of State and Government (ASEM9). November 6 November 7 November 8 November 9 November 10 November 11 November 12 November 13 November 14 November 15 November 16 November 17 November 18 November 19 November 20 November 21 November 22 Magnus Carlsen of Norway became the new World Chess Champion on 22 November 2013 after defeating the previous champion Viswanathan Anand of India by 6,5-3,5 in the match that was held from 7th November in Chennai, India. November 23 November 24 November 25 November 26 November 27 November 28 November 29 Norwegian students secured the eighth place at the global maths and science ranking, according to the International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) released on 29 November 2016. November 30 Norwegian chess grandmaster Magnus Carlsen won the World Chess Championship for third time in a row on 30 November 2016 after defeating Sergey Karjakin of Russia.

December

December 1 December 2 December 3 December 4 December 5 December 6 Norway has agreed to give $180 million to Brazil as part of a broader $1 billion deal for slowing deforestation in the Amazon rainforest, according to an official announcement on 6 December 2012. December 7 December 8 December 9 December 10 Norwegian diplomat, Fridtjof Nansen, won The Nobel Peace Prize in 1922 for his great contribution to refugees and displaced victims of WWI. Christian Lous Lange from Norway jointly won The Nobel Peace Prize in 1921 for his role as Secretary of the Interparliamentary Union - an organization for political negotiations between different countries. December 11 Bergen of Norway was declared as the member of the 2015 UNESCO Creative Cities Network in the Gastronomy category. December 12 Norwegian economist Ragnar Frisch, along with Dutch economist Jan Tinbergen, were jointly awarded the Nobel Prize in Economics for 1969 for having developed and applied dynamic models for the analysis of economic processes on December 12, 1969. December 13 Norway on 13 December 2017 completed its transition to digital radio, becoming the first country in the world to shut down national broadcasts of its FM radio network. December 14 Norway topped the UNDP Human Development Index (HDI) 2015 that measures long-term progress in three basic dimensions of human development — a long and healthy life, access to knowledge and a decent standard of living. December 15 Norway topped the United Nations’ Human Development Index, a summary measure of average achievement in key dimensions of human development, according to an UNDP report published on 15 December 2020. December 16 December 17 December 18 December 19 December 20 December 21 December 22 December 23 The United Nations on 23 December 2013 appointed former Norwegian Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg and former Ghana President John Kufuor as special envoys on climate change to assist in engaging Heads of State and Government around the world in order to mobilize political will and action, and raise ambition ahead of the 2014 Climate Summit in New York. December 24 December 25 December 26 December 27 December 28 December 29 December 30 Norway topped the World press freedom rankings for 2020, produced by Reporters without Borders, which assesses press freedom in 180 countries around the world. December 31

---