{"id":"urho-kekkonen","type":"person","url":"https://diginpl.com/people/urho-kekkonen","language":"en","name":"Urho Kekkonen","name_en":"Urho Kekkonen","name_ne":null,"description":"Eighth President of Finland (1900–1986)","headline":"Eighth President of Finland (1900–1986)","also_known_as":[],"summary":"Urho Kaleva Kekkonen, often referred to by his initials UKK, was a Finnish politician who served as the eighth and longest-serving president of Finland from 1956 to 1982. He also served as prime minister, and held various other cabinet positions. He was the third and most recent president from the Agrarian League/Centre Party. Head of state for nearly 26 years, he dominated Finnish politics for 31 years overall. Holding a large amount of power, he won his later elections with little opposition and has often been classified as an autocrat.","summary_more":[],"facts":[{"key":"born","label":"Born","values":[{"text":"3 September 1900","date":"1900-09-03"}],"source":{"label":"Wikidata","url":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q179858#P569"}},{"key":"birthplace","label":"Place of birth","values":[{"text":"Lepikon torppa","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q11875597"}],"source":{"label":"Wikidata","url":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q179858#P19"}},{"key":"died","label":"Died","values":[{"text":"31 August 1986","date":"1986-08-31"}],"source":{"label":"Wikidata","url":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q179858#P570"}},{"key":"deathplace","label":"Place of death","values":[{"text":"Tamminiemi","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q2459334"}],"source":{"label":"Wikidata","url":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q179858#P20"}},{"key":"citizenship","label":"Citizenship","values":[{"text":"Finland","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q33","start":"1917-12-06"},{"text":"Grand Duchy of Finland","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q62633","end":"1917-12-05"}],"source":{"label":"Wikidata","url":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q179858#P27"}},{"key":"occupation","label":"Occupation","values":[{"text":"politician","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q82955"},{"text":"athletics competitor","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q11513337"},{"text":"lawyer","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q40348"},{"text":"journalist","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1930187"},{"text":"sprinter","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q4009406"},{"text":"police officer","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q384593"}],"source":{"label":"Wikidata","url":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q179858#P106"}},{"key":"party","label":"Political party","values":[{"text":"Centre Party (since 1933)","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q506591","start":"1933"}],"source":{"label":"Wikidata","url":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q179858#P102"}},{"key":"education","label":"Education","values":[{"text":"University of Helsinki","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q28695"}],"source":{"label":"Wikidata","url":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q179858#P69"}},{"key":"spouse","label":"Spouse","values":[{"text":"Sylvi Kekkonen","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q10971514","start":"1926","end":"1974-12-02"}],"source":{"label":"Wikidata","url":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q179858#P26"}},{"key":"positions","label":"Positions held","values":[{"text":"President of Finland (1 March 1956 – 27 January 1982)","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q29558","start":"1956-03-01","end":"1982-01-27"},{"text":"Prime Minister of Finland (20 October 1954 – 3 March 1956)","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q738695","start":"1954-10-20","end":"1956-03-03"},{"text":"Minister for Foreign Affairs of Finland (26 November 1952 – 9 July 1953)","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q2386529","start":"1952-11-26","end":"1953-07-09"},{"text":"Prime Minister of Finland (17 March 1950 – 17 November 1953)","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q738695","start":"1950-03-17","end":"1953-11-17"},{"text":"Minister of the Interior (17 March 1950 – 17 January 1951)","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1445938","start":"1950-03-17","end":"1951-01-17"},{"text":"Speaker of the Parliament of Finland (22 July 1948 – 21 March 1950)","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q392228","start":"1948-07-22","end":"1950-03-21"},{"text":"member of the Parliament of Finland (1945–1956)","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q17592486","start":"1945","end":"1956-02-15"},{"text":"Minister of Justice of Finland (17 November 1944 – 26 March 1946)","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1294631","start":"1944-11-17","end":"1946-03-26"},{"text":"Minister of the Interior (12 March 1937 – 1 December 1939)","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1445938","start":"1937-03-12","end":"1939-12-01"},{"text":"Minister of Justice of Finland (7 October 1936 – 12 March 1937)","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1294631","start":"1936-10-07","end":"1937-03-12"},{"text":"member of the Parliament of Finland (1936–1945)","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q17592486","start":"1936-09-01","end":"1945"},{"text":"justice minister","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q17763739"},{"text":"interior minister","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q17578116"}],"source":{"label":"Wikidata","url":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q179858#P39"}},{"key":"awards","label":"Awards","values":[{"text":"Commander of the Order of Sports Merit","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q94941221","date":"1933"},{"text":"Commander with Star of the Order of Merit of the Kingdom of Hungary","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q20438982","date":"1943-03-20"},{"text":"Commander First Class of the Order of the Lion of Finland","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q47337892","date":"1947-12-13"},{"text":"The Great Cross of Merit of Finnish Sports and Culture of Physical Exercise","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q741156","date":"1950"},{"text":"Queen Elizabeth II Coronation Medal","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q94793","date":"1952"},{"text":"Finnish Olympic Cross of Merit, First Class","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q119009390","date":"1952-12-02"},{"text":"Grand Cross of the Order of the White Rose of Finland","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q23773332","date":"1953-05-20"},{"text":"Grand Cross of the Order of the Holy Lamb","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q119625246","date":"1955"},{"text":"Grand Cross of the Order of the Cross of Liberty","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q75197959","date":"1956-02-29"},{"text":"Grand Cross with Collar of the Order of the White Rose of Finland","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q23769799","date":"1956-03-01"},{"text":"Grand Cross of the Order of the Lion of Finland","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q47337762","date":"1956-03-01"},{"text":"Royal Order of the Seraphim","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1331130","date":"1956-10-02"},{"text":"Grand Cross with Collar of the Order of the Falcon","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q22583240","date":"1957-08-14"},{"text":"Knight of the Order of the Elephant","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q56861795","date":"1957-09-03"},{"text":"Grand Cross of the Legion of Honour","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q10855226","date":"1958"}],"source":{"label":"Wikidata","url":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q179858#P166"}}],"office":null,"sections":[],"cited":[],"cited_from":null,"videos":[],"last_reviewed":null,"organizations":[],"same_as":["https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Urho_Kekkonen","https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q179858"],"faq":[{"q":"When was Urho Kekkonen born?","a":"Urho Kekkonen was born on 3 September 1900 in Lepikon torppa."},{"q":"What positions has Urho Kekkonen held?","a":"Positions held by Urho Kekkonen include: President of Finland (1956–1982); Prime Minister of Finland (1954–1956); Minister for Foreign Affairs of Finland (1952–1953); Prime Minister of Finland (1950–1953); Minister of the Interior (1950–1951)."},{"q":"Where did Urho Kekkonen study?","a":"Urho Kekkonen was educated at University of Helsinki."}],"related":[{"name":"Mauno Koivisto","url":"https://diginpl.com/people/mauno-koivisto"},{"name":"Sauli Niinistö","url":"https://diginpl.com/people/sauli-niinisto"},{"name":"Tarja Halonen","url":"https://diginpl.com/people/tarja-halonen"},{"name":"Martti Ahtisaari","url":"https://diginpl.com/people/martti-ahtisaari"},{"name":"Carl Gustaf Emil Mannerheim","url":"https://diginpl.com/people/carl-gustaf-emil-mannerheim"},{"name":"Kyösti Kallio","url":"https://diginpl.com/people/kyosti-kallio"},{"name":"Pehr Evind Svinhufvud","url":"https://diginpl.com/people/pehr-evind-svinhufvud"},{"name":"Risto Ryti","url":"https://diginpl.com/people/risto-ryti"},{"name":"Juho Kusti Paasikivi","url":"https://diginpl.com/people/juho-kusti-paasikivi"},{"name":"Alexander Stubb","url":"https://diginpl.com/people/alexander-stubb"}],"places_in":[],"nearby":[],"image":{"url":"https://diginpl.com/kb-img/urho-kekkonen-553e4388e2.jpg","width":500,"height":580,"license":"CC BY 4.0","credit":"Anonymous Unknown author / Kuvasiskot studio","page":"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Urho-Kekkonen-1977-c.jpg"},"sources":[{"label":"Wikipedia (English): Urho Kekkonen","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Urho_Kekkonen","license":"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/"},{"label":"Wikidata item Q179858","url":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q179858","license":"https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/"},{"label":"Image: Urho-Kekkonen-1977-c.jpg by Anonymous Unknown author / Kuvasiskot studio (CC BY 4.0)","url":"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Urho-Kekkonen-1977-c.jpg","license":null}],"license":{"text":"CC BY-SA 4.0","url":"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/","facts":"https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/"},"attribution":"Text from the Wikipedia article Urho Kekkonen, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. This page's text is shared under the same licence. Facts from Wikidata (CC0). Image: Urho-Kekkonen-1977-c.jpg — Anonymous Unknown author / Kuvasiskot studio, CC BY 4.0.","cite":"\"Urho Kekkonen\". DigiNepal. Last updated 4 November 2026. https://diginpl.com/people/urho-kekkonen. Retrieved 4 November 2026.","date_modified":"2026-11-04T07:56:30Z","facts_checked":"2026-11-04","alternates":{"html":"https://diginpl.com/people/urho-kekkonen","en":"https://diginpl.com/people/urho-kekkonen","ne":"https://diginpl.com/people/urho-kekkonen?lang=ne"}}