# Kyösti Kallio

_Finnish politician and 4th President of Finland (1873–1940)_

Canonical: https://diginpl.com/people/kyosti-kallio
Last updated: 2026-11-04

> Kyösti Kallio was a Finnish politician who served as the president of Finland from 1937 to 1940. His presidency included leading the country through the Winter War; while he relinquished the post of commander-in-chief to Carl Gustaf Emil Mannerheim, he played a role as a spiritual leader. After the war, he became both the first president of Finland to resign and the only one to die in office, dying of a heart attack while returning home after submitting his resignation.

## Quick facts

- **Born:** 10 April 1873 ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q209441#P569))
- **Place of birth:** Nivala ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q209441#P19))
- **Died:** 19 December 1940 ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q209441#P570))
- **Place of death:** Helsinki Central Railway Station ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q209441#P20))
- **Citizenship:** Finland; Grand Duchy of Finland ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q209441#P27))
- **Occupation:** politician ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q209441#P106))
- **Political party:** Centre Party ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q209441#P102))
- **Education:** Oulun Lyseon Lukio ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q209441#P69))
- **Spouse:** Kaisa Kallio ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q209441#P26))
- **Positions held:** President of Finland (1 March 1937 – 19 December 1940); Prime Minister of Finland (7 October 1936 – 15 February 1937); Speaker of the Parliament of Finland (21 October 1930 – 8 October 1936); Prime Minister of Finland (16 August 1929 – 4 July 1930); Speaker of the Parliament of Finland (1 February 1929 – 16 August 1929); Speaker of the Parliament of Finland (3 September 1927 – 31 January 1928); Prime Minister of Finland (31 December 1925 – 13 December 1926); Speaker of the Parliament of Finland (2 May 1924 – 31 March 1925); Prime Minister of Finland (14 November 1922 – 18 January 1924); Speaker of the Parliament of Finland (6 September 1922 – 14 November 1922); Speaker of the Parliament of Finland (8 May 1920 – 29 March 1921); member of the Parliament of Finland (22 May 1907 – 15 February 1937); Minister of Agriculture and Forestry; Speaker of the Parliament of Finland ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q209441#P39))
- **Awards:** Royal Order of the Seraphim; Order of the White Star, Collar Class; Grand Cross of the Order of the White Rose of Finland; Cross of Liberty, 1st Class; Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Falcon; Grand Cross of the Order of Polonia Restituta; Commanders Grand Cross of the Order of the Polar Star; Order of Merit of the Kingdom of Hungary (1922); Cross of Liberty 1st  Division, 2nd Class; Grand Cross with Collar of the Order of the White Rose of Finland; Grand Cross of the Order of the Cross of Liberty; Grand Cross of the Legion of Honour; Grand Cross of the Order of the Southern Cross; Commander First Class of the Order of the White Rose of Finland; Cross of Liberty 3rd Division, 1st Class ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q209441#P166))

## Questions

**When was Kyösti Kallio born?**  
Kyösti Kallio was born on 10 April 1873 in Nivala.

**What positions has Kyösti Kallio held?**  
Positions held by Kyösti Kallio include: President of Finland (1937–1940); Prime Minister of Finland (1936–1937); Speaker of the Parliament of Finland (1930–1936); Prime Minister of Finland (1929–1930); Speaker of the Parliament of Finland (1929–1929).

**Where did Kyösti Kallio study?**  
Kyösti Kallio was educated at Oulun Lyseon Lukio.

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## Sources

- [Wikipedia (English): Kyösti Kallio](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ky%C3%B6sti_Kallio) — [CC BY-SA 4.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/)
- [Wikidata item Q209441](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q209441) — [CC0 1.0](https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/)
- [Image: Kyösti Kallio.jpg by Yle. (Public domain)](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Ky%C3%B6sti_Kallio.jpg)

## Licence and attribution

Text from the Wikipedia article Kyösti Kallio, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. This page's text is shared under the same licence. Facts from Wikidata (CC0). Image: Kyösti Kallio.jpg — Yle., Public domain.

## Cite this page

"Kyösti Kallio". DigiNepal. Last updated 4 November 2026. https://diginpl.com/people/kyosti-kallio. Retrieved 6 November 2026.