Finland Events

1939 Oct 16 Finland and Soviet Union Hold Negotiations to Resolve Border Dispute
On 5 October 1939, the Soviet Union invited a Finnish delegation to Moscow for negotiations. J.K. Paasikivi, the Finnish ambassador to Sweden, was sent to Moscow to represent the Finnish ...
1939 Nov 26 The Shelling of Mainila
Seven shots were fired, and their fall was detected by three Finnish observation posts. These witnesses estimated that the shells detonated approximately 800 meters inside Soviet territor...
1939 Nov 30 Soviet Union Launches Invasion of Finland
On 30 November, Soviet forces invaded Finland with 21 divisions, totaling some 450,000 men, and bombed Helsinki. Later the Finnish statesman J.K. Paasikivi commented that the Soviet attac...
1939 Dec 1 Soviet Union Forms Puppet Government Intended to Rule Finland
On 1 December, the Soviet Union formed a puppet government intended to rule Finland once the war was over. Called the Finnish Democratic Republic, it was headed by O. W. Kuusinen. The gov...
1939 Dec 12 Battle of Tolvajärvi
The Battle of Tolvajärvi ['tol.va.jær.vi] was fought on 12 December 1939 between Finland and the Soviet Union. It was the first large victory for the Finns in the Winter War. After the...
1939 Dec 14 Soviet Union is Expelled from the League of Nations
At the start of the Winter War, Finland brought up the matter of the Soviet invasion before the League of Nations. The League expelled the Soviet Union on 14 December 1939 and exhorted it...
1939 Dec 16 Soviet Tanks Advance on Finnish Village of Summa
The Battle of Summa was fought between the Soviet Union and Finland, in two phases, first in December 1939 and then in February 1940. It was part of the Winter War and was fought near the...
1940 Jan 6 Heavy Fighting Along the Raate Road as Finns Break Soviet 44th Rifle Division
The Battle of Raate Road was fought during the Winter War between the Soviet Union and Finland in January, 1940, as a part of the Battle of Suomussalmi. This battle proved the effectivene...
1940 Feb 1 Soviets Launch All-Out Offensive on Karelian Isthmus
Although the Karelian Isthmus front was less active in December than in January, the Soviets began increasing bombardments, wearing down the defenders and softening their fortifications. ...
1940 Mar 12 Signing of the Moscow Peace Treaty Between Finland and the Soviet Union
The Moscow Peace Treaty was signed by Finland and the Soviet Union on March 12, 1940, and the ratifications were exchanged on March 21. It marked the end of the 105-day Winter War. The tr...
1940 Jun 14 Kaleva Shot Down by Two Soviet Bombers
Kaleva, registered OH-ALL, was a civilian Junkers Ju 52 passenger and transport plane, belonging to the Finnish carrier Aero O/Y. The aircraft was shot down by two Soviet Ilyushin DB-3 bo...
2004 Mar 19 Konginkangas Bus Disaster
The Konginkangas bus disaster was a major traffic accident on March 19, 2004, outside the Konginkangas housing estate in Äänekoski, Finland. At 02:08 local time (00:08 UTC) a bus transpor...
2008 Oct 10 Martti Ahtisaari Is Awarded the Nobel Peace Prize
Martti Oiva Kalevi Ahtisaari (born 23 June 1937) is a former President of Finland (1994–2000), 2008 Nobel Peace Prize laureate and United Nations diplomat and mediator, noted for his inte...
2009 Oct 30 Construction is Completed on the MS Oasis of the Seas, the World's Biggest Passenger Ship
MS Oasis of the Seas is a cruise ship in the fleet of Royal Caribbean International. The first of her class, she is expected to be joined by her sister ship MS Allure of the Seas in Novem...