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Biography
Urho Kaleva Kekkonen (3 September 1900 – 31 August 1986) was a Finnish politician who served as the eighth and longest-serving President of Finland from 1956 until 1982. He was the third and most recent president from the Agrarian League/Center Party. As head of state for nearly 26 years, he dominated Finnish politics, held a large amount of power, won his later elections with little opposition and has often been classified as an autocrat. Nevertheless, he remains a respected figure. Description above from the Wikipedia article Urho Kekkonen, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.
Awards & recognition
- Medal of Merit with clasp of the Association of the Warrant Officers’ · 1983
- Medal of Merit of the Association of Voluntary Defence Guilds · 1981
- Grand Cross of the Order of Boyacá · 1980
- Lenin Peace Prize · 1980
- Collar of the Order of Charles III · 1978
Show all 83 awards →
- Medal — Military Merits · 1978
- Cross of merit with clasp of Reservists' association · 1977
- Grand Cross Special Class of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany · 1976
- Collar of the Order of Isabella the Catholic · 1975
- Grand Cross of the Order of Merit of the Polish People's Republic · 1974
- Grand Star of People's Friendship · 1974
- Order of St. Vladimir the Equal-to-the-Apostles (first class) · 1974
- Grand Cross of the National Order of the Lion · 1973
- Order of Friendship of Peoples · 1973
- Knight Grand Cross in the Order of the Netherlands Lion · 1972
- Collar of the Order of Pope Pius IX · 1971
- Order of San Marino · 1971
- Gold Medal of Merit of the Reserve Officers Association · 1970
- Order of Pahlavi · 1970
- Collar of the Order of the White Lion · 1969
- Honorary Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath · 1969
- Order of the Flag of the People's Republic of Hungary · 1969
- Star of the Socialist Republic of Romania, 1st class · 1969
- Grand Collar of the Order of the Nile · 1967
- Grand Cordon of the Order of Leopold · 1967
- Order of Georgi Dimitrov · 1967
- Order of Independence · 1965
- Grand Cross of the Order of Polonia Restituta · 1964
- Order of Lenin · 1964
- Collar of the Order of the Aztec Eagle · 1963
- Order of the Yugoslavian Great Star · 1963
- doctor honoris causa from the University of Aix-Marseille · 1962
- Knight Grand Cross of the Order of St Michael and St George · 1961
- Grand Star of the Decoration — Services to the Republic of Austria · 1960
- Knight Grand Cross with Collar of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic · 1960
- Knight Grand Cross with Collar of the Order of Saint Olav · 1960
- Cross of Merit of the War Invalides · 1958
- Grand Cross of the Legion of Honour · 1958
- Grand Cross with Collar of the Order of the Falcon · 1957
- Knight of the Order of the Elephant · 1957
- Grand Cross of the Order of the Cross of Liberty · 1956
- Grand Cross of the Order of the Lion of Finland · 1956
- Grand Cross with Collar of the Order of the White Rose of Finland · 1956
- Royal Order of the Seraphim · 1956
- Grand Cross of the Order of the Dannebrog · 1955
- Grand Cross of the Order of the Holy Lamb · 1955
- Grand Cross of the Order of Orange-Nassau · 1954
- Grand Cross of the Order of the White Rose of Finland · 1953
- Knight Grand Cross of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic · 1953
- Finnish Olympic Cross of Merit, First Class · 1952
- Knight Grand Cross of the Order of Vasa · 1952
- Queen Elizabeth II Coronation Medal · 1952
- The Great Cross of Merit of Finnish Sports and Culture of Physical Exercise · 1950
- Commander First Class of the Order of the Lion of Finland · 1947
- Commander with Star of the Order of Merit of the Kingdom of Hungary · 1943
- German Olympic Decoration · 1937
- German Olympic Decoration 1st Class · 1937
- Commander of the Order of Sports Merit · 1933
- anniversary medal at the occasion of the 2500th anniversary of the founding of the Iranian Empire
- Decoration of Honour — Services to the Republic of Austria
- honorary doctor of the University of Uppsala
- National Order of the Lion of Senegal
- Order of Boyacá
- Order of Charles III
- Order of Isabella the Catholic
- Order of Merit of the Italian Republic
- Order of Merit of the Polish People's Republic
- Order of Pius IX
- Order of St. Olav
- Order of Stara Planina
- Order of the Aztec Eagle
- Order of the Bath
- Order of the Cross of Liberty
- Order of the Falcon
- Order of the Lion of Finland
- Order of the Nile
- Order of the Star of Romania
- Order of the White Eagle
- Order of the White Lion
- Order of the White Rose of Finland
- Order of the Yugoslav Star
- Sibelius Medal
- Nobel Peace Prize · 1962 · nominated
