1920 in Norway

Events in the year 1920 in Norway.

← 1919 1918 1917 1920 in Norway → 1921 1922 1923
Centuries:	18th 19th 20th 21st
Decades:	1900s 1910s 1920s 1930s 1940s
See also:	List of years in Norway

Incumbents

• Monarch – Haakon VII.^[1]

Events

• 9 February – The League of Nations gives the islands of Spitsbergen to Norway.
• 17–19 June – The Centre Party was founded.
• Aalesund ship is discovered embedded in the earth south of Ålesund.

Popular culture

Sports

Main article: 1920 in Norwegian football

• Helge Løvland, won the Olympic gold medal in the decathlon.

Music

Main article: 1920 in Norwegian music

Film

Main article: List of Norwegian films before 1930 § 1920s

Literature

• Knut Hamsund was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature for the novel Markens Grøde (Growth of the Soil, 1917).^[2]
• The Knut Hamsund novel Konerne ved Vandposten Volume 1 & 2 (The Women at the Pump), was published.
• The third Sigrid Undset for the trilogy of Kristin Lavransdatter was published.
• The Olav Duun novel Storbybryllope (The Big Wedding) from the work Juvikfolket (The People of Juvik, 1918–23), was published.

Notable births

January

Rut Brandt

• 2 January – Anne-Sofie Østvedt, resistance leader (died 2009)
• 7 January – Anders Bratholm, jurist and professor of jurisprudence (died 2010)
• 10 January – Rut Brandt, writer and second wife of the German Chancellor Willy Brandt (died 2006)
• 11 January – Ole Henrik Moe, pianist, art historian and art critic (died 2013).^[3]
• 14 January – Helge Rognlien, politician and Minister (died 2001)
• 19 January – Kåre Olafsen, resistance member, executed (died 1945)
• 20 January – Thorleif Schjelderup, ski jumper, Olympic bronze medallist and author (died 2006)
• 27 January – Gudmund Saxrud, civil servant and diplomat (died 2003)

February

Anne-Cath. Vestly

• 4 February – Ole J. Kleppa, physical chemist (died 2007)
• 8 February – Sverre Farstad, speed skater and Olympic gold medallist (died 1978)
• 15 February – Anne-Catharina Vestly, children's author (died 2008)^[4]
• 16 February – Karsten Andersen, conductor (died 1997).^[5]
• 17 February – Ivo Caprino, film director and writer (died 2001)
• 21 February – Per Øisang, journalist and radio and television presenter (died 1967)

March

Kjell Aukrust

• 3 March – Henry Gundersen, resistance member, executed (died 1945)
• 10 March – Finn Ferner, sailor and Olympic silver medallist (died 2001).^[6]
• 11 March – Kåre Kristiansen, politician (died 2005)
• 19 March – Kjell Aukrust, author, poet and artist (died 2002)^[7]
• 21 March – Trygve Moe, politician (died 1998)
• 23 March – Lorentz Eldjarn, biochemist and medical doctor (died 2007)^[8]
• 27 March – Maren-Sofie Røstvig, literary historian (died 2014).^[9]
• 29 March – Hans Methlie Michelsen, judge (died 2014)

April

Dagfinn Grønoset

• 4 April – Dagfinn Grønoset, author (died 2008)^[10]
• 8 April – Kristian Asdahl, politician (died 2000)
• 9 April – Otto Nes, television manager (died 2014)^[11]
• 10 April – Jakob Aano, politician (died 2016)
• 12 April – Audun Hetland, illustrator (died 1998)^[12]
• 19 April – Ragnar Ulstein, journalist, writer and resistance member (died 2019).^[13]
• 22 April – Adolf Bogstad, resistance member, executed (died 1945)
• 28 April – Egil Endresen, jurist and politician (died 1992)

May

• 7 May – Einar Wøhni, politician (died 1987)
• 10 May – Olaf Kortner, politician (died 1998)
• 11 May − Per Jorsett, sports reporter (died 2019)^[14]
• 29 May – Bjarne Aagard Strøm, politician (died 2008)

June

• 1 June – Alexander Pihl, medical scientist (died 2009).^[15]
• 6 June – Tormod Førland, chemist (died 1995).^[16]
• 14 June – Ivar Mathisen, sprint canoer and Olympic silver medallist (died 2008)
• 30 June – Hans Kristian Seip, forester (died 2012)

July

Merete Skavlan

• 2 July – Lars T. Platou, electrical engineer and politician (died 2003)
• 6 July – Carl Nesjar, painter, sculptor and printmaker (died 2015).^[17]
• 9 July – Ragnhild Magerøy, novelist and essayist (died 2010).^[18]
• 13 July – Jens Christian Magnus, military officer and politician (died 2017)^[19]
• 15 July – Gudmund Grytøyr, politician (died 2001)
• 21 July – Gunnar Thoresen, international soccer player (died 2017)
• 21 July – Harald Warholm, politician (died 1967)
• 22 July – Ingvar Bakken, politician (died 1982)
• 25 July – Merete Skavlan, actress, theatre instructor and director (died 2018)^[20]
• 27 July – Olaf Poulsen, speed skater and president of the International Skating Union (died 2008)
• 31 July – Per Hysing-Dahl, politician (died 1989)

August

• 3 August – Jonas Brunvoll Jr., opera singer and actor (died 1982).^[21]
• 9 August
  • Kjeld Langeland, politician (died 1973)
  • Tormod Skagestad, writer, actor and theatre director (died 1997).^[22]

September

• 6 September – Sigurd Helle, topographer and explorer (died 2013).^[23]
• 20 September – Rolf Kirkvaag, journalist and radio and television personality (died 2003)

October

Jens Bjørneboe

• 6 October – Edvard Beyer, literary historian, literary critic and professor (died 2003)
• 9 October
  • Jens Bjørneboe, writer (died 1976)
  • Jens Boyesen, diplomat and politician (died 1996)
• 24 October – Per Saugstad, psychologist and professor (died 2010)
• 26 October – Anne Valen Hestetun, politician (died 2009)

November

Guttorm Hansen

• 3 November
  • Guttorm Hansen, writer and politician (died 2009)
  • Gerhard Knoop, stage producer and theatre director (died 2009).^[24]
• 26 November – Sven Oluf Sørensen, physicist (died 2017).^[25]
• 27 November – Johannes Bråten, politician (died 1997)
• 29 November – Eva Børresen, ceramist (died 2022).^[26]

December

• 5 December – Hallvard Eika, politician and Minister (died 1989)
• 8 December – Ivar Martinsen, speed skater (died 2018)
• 12 December – Tollef Landsverk, judge and civil servant (died 1988)
• 19 December – Trygve Brudevold, bobsledder (died 2021)
• 20 December – Ludvig Eikaas, painter, sculptor and printmaker (died 2010).^[27]

Full date missing

• Sverre Bergh, spy in Nazi Germany during World War II (died 2006)
• Bjarte Birkeland, literary researcher (died 2000)
• Jens-Halvard Bratz, businessman, politician and Minister (died 2005)
• Rolf Arthur Hansen, politician and minister (died 2006)
• Simen Skjønsberg, journalist and writer (died 1993)

Notable deaths

Christopher Bruun

• 24 January – Hagbard Berner, lawyer, politician and newspaper editor (born 1839).^[28]
• 3 April – Fernanda Nissen, journalist, literary critic, theatre critic, politician and feminist pioneer (born 1862)
• 18 May – Johan Henrik Paasche Thorne, businessperson and politician (born 1843)
• 17 July – Christopher Bruun, Norwegian priest and educator.

Full date unknown

• Anders Bergene, businessperson (born 1855)
• Oskar Fredriksen, speed skater (born 1872)
• Knut Gunnarsson Helland, Hardanger fiddle maker (born 1880)
• Baard Iversen, businessperson and politician (born 1836)
• Olaj Olsen, jurist and politician (born 1851)
• Steinar Schjøtt, philologist and lexicographer (born 1844)
• Andreas Lauritz Thune, engineer and businessman (born 1848)

See also