Vigdís Finnbogadóttir facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Vigdís Finnbogadóttir
Vigdís in 1985
4th President of Iceland
In office 1 August 1980 – 1 August 1996
Prime Minister	Gunnar Thoroddsen Steingrímur Hermannsson Þorsteinn Pálsson Davíð Oddsson
Preceded by	Kristján Eldjárn
Succeeded by	Ólafur Ragnar Grímsson
Personal details
Born	(1930-04-15) 15 April 1930 (age 95) Reykjavík, Iceland
Spouse	Ragnar Arinbjarnar ​ ​ (m. 1954; div. 1961)​
Children	1 (adopted)
Alma mater	University of Paris University of Grenoble University of Copenhagen University of Iceland

Vigdís Finnbogadóttir was born on April 15, 1930. She is an Icelandic politician. From 1980 to 1996, she served as the fourth president of Iceland.

Vigdís made history as the first woman in the world to be chosen as president through a democratic election. She was president for 16 years. This makes her the longest-serving elected female head of state ever! She was the first female president in Iceland. Later, Halla Tómasdóttir became the second. Vigdís is also a special ambassador for UNESCO. She is also a member of the Club of Madrid.

Her Early Life and Studies

Vigdís was born in Reykjavík, Iceland. Her father was an engineer. Her mother was a nurse. Her mother also led the national nurses association.

In 1949, Vigdís started studying at the University of Grenoble in France. She later moved to the Sorbonne. She focused on English and French literature. She especially loved plays. She finished her studies in 1953.

Early Career and Family Life

After her studies, Vigdís started acting in 1954. She helped start a theater group. She also translated many French plays into Icelandic. In 1957, she studied theater history at the University of Copenhagen.

Vigdís adopted a daughter in 1972. She was the first single woman in Iceland to adopt a child.

Vigdís taught French on television for RÚV starting in 1972. This made her well-known across Iceland. In the same year, she became the artistic director of the Reykjavík Theatre Company. She also worked as a French teacher at colleges. She was a tour guide for the Icelandic Tourist Bureau. Eventually, she became the head of the Tourist Bureau.

Vigdís also took part in protests in the 1960s and 1970s. She protested against the United States military presence in Iceland.

Becoming President of Iceland

Vigdís decided to run for president in 1980. She wanted to show that women could lead political campaigns. She didn't actually expect to win!

The 1980 Election

During her campaign, some people criticized her. They said her views against the military meant she supported communism. But Vigdís won the election on June 29, 1980. The votes were split among four candidates. She won with 33.6% of the votes.

Vigdís became president on August 1, 1980. She was the fourth president of Iceland. She was also the first woman in the world to be democratically elected as a head of state. After she became president, more women started to join the Althing, which is Iceland's parliament.

Re-elections and Important Events

Vigdís was re-elected in 1984 without anyone running against her. In 1986, she oversaw the Reykjavík Summit. This was a very important meeting. It was between American President Ronald Reagan and Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev. This meeting helped improve relations between the two countries. It also helped bring the Cold War closer to an end.

In 1988, Vigdís faced a challenger in the election. She was the first sitting president of Iceland to do so. But she won easily with 92.7% of the votes. She was re-elected again in 1992 without opposition.

Her Role as President

Even though the president's job in Iceland is mostly ceremonial, Vigdís was very active. She used her role to represent Iceland. She also helped shape the country's identity through cultural projects.

Vigdís is an environmentalist. She used her presidency to talk about environmental issues. She led a campaign to plant more trees in Iceland. She also called for stopping topsoil loss. Vigdís is also a pacifist. This means she believes in peace and avoiding war. She called herself a "peace person." She also supported gay rights during her time as president.

Leaving Office

In 1994, Vigdís faced a tough decision. Iceland was debating whether to join the European Economic Area. Many people in Iceland were against joining. But Vigdís supported the European Union. She decided not to use her presidential veto to block Iceland's association.

Vigdís chose not to run for a fifth term. Her time as president ended in August 1996. She served for 16 years. She is still the longest-serving elected female head of state in history.

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

After the Presidency

After leaving office, Vigdís continued to be active. In 1996, she became the first chair of the Council of Women World Leaders. From 1997 to 2001, she led the World Commission on the Ethics in Scientific Knowledge and Technology.

Since 1998, Vigdís has been a UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador for languages. She also helps the Fondation Chirac.

Vigdís has continued to promote peace. In 2016, she hoped that the United States and Russia would meet in Iceland. She wanted them to talk and solve their problems, just like they did during the Reykjavík Summit. She has said that the relationship between the two countries feels like a new Cold War.

Vigdís is also a member of the Club of Madrid.

Honours and Awards

Vigdís has received many awards and honours from Iceland and other countries.

From Iceland

• Grand Cross with Collar of the Order of the Falcon (August 1, 1980)

From Other Countries

•  Finland: Grand Cross with Collar of the Order of the White Rose (1982)
•  Netherlands: Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Netherlands Lion (September 18, 1985)
•  Spain: Knight Grand Cross with Collar of the Order of Charles III (September 11, 1985)
•  United Kingdom: Honorary Dame Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath (June 25, 1990)

Special University Degrees

Vigdís has also received honorary degrees from several universities:

• Université Bordeaux Montaigne, France (1987)
• University of Trondheim, Norway (1993)

See also

In Spanish: Vigdís Finnbogadóttir para niños

• List of the first women holders of political offices