1971 in Norway

← 1970 1969 1968 1971 in Norway → 1972 1973 1974
Centuries:	18th 19th 20th 21st
Decades:	1950s 1960s 1970s 1980s 1990s
See also:	List of years in Norway

Events in the year 1971 in Norway.

Incumbents

• Monarch – Olav V
• Prime Minister – Per Borten (Centre Party) until 17 October, Trygve Bratteli (Labour Party)

Events

• Municipal and county elections are held throughout the country.
• 13 February – Amendments to the Helsinki Treaty of Co-operation between Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, and Sweden are signed. ^[1]
• 17 March – Bratteli's First Cabinet was appointed.
• 22 May – A fire breaks out in the crew quarters of the Norwegian passenger ship MS Meteor near Vancouver, Canada. The vessel is evacuated after an explosion and blaze; 32 crew members are killed. ^[2]
• 14 June – The Storting adopt the "Ten Oil Commandments", formulated by Rolf Hellem of the Labour Party, outlining key principles for Norway’s petroleum policy. ^[3]
• July – American saxophonist Sonny Rollins performs at the Kongsberg Jazz Festival, joined by pianist Bobo Stenson, bassist Arild Andersen, and drummer Jon Christensen. ^[4]
• 5 September – The first Kalvøya Festival is held with Finn Kalvik, Kristin Berglund, Jan Garbarek and Ruphus; the starting point for Norway's largest rock festival. ^[5]
• 24 October – Rosenborg defeat Fredrikstad 4-1 in the Norwegian Cup Final at Ullevaal Stadium in Oslo. ^[6]

Undated

• Per Arneberg, poet, prosaist and translator is awarded the Riksmål Society Literature Prize. ^[7]
• Arild Nyquist, novelist, poet, children's writer and musician, is awarded the Mads Wiel Nygaard's Endowment literary prize. ^[8]

Notable births

Vibeke Larsen

Dagrun Eriksen

Linn T. Sunne

• 1 February – Harald Brattbakk, footballer and pilot
• 18 February – May Britt Lagesen, politician ^[9]
• 18 March – Hilde Synnøve Lid, freestyle skier ^[10]
• 24 March – Bengt Rune Strifeldt, politician. ^[11]
• 3 April – Ingvild Vaggen Malvik, politician
• 5 April – Åslaug Sem-Jacobsen, politician ^[12]
• 6 April – Mona Grudt, model and 1990 Miss Universe
• 13 May – Espen Lind, songwriter, producer, singer, and multi-instrumentalist
• 16 May – Pia Wedege, luger ^[13]
• 20 May – Hanne Stenvaag, politician ^[14]
• 11 June – Gudrun Skretting  [ no ], pianist and children's writer
• 15 June – Vibeke Larsen, politician ^[15]
• 28 June – Dagrun Eriksen, politician
• 28 June – Steinar Opstad, poet ^[16]
• 20 July – Guro Angell Gimse, politician
• 9 September – Ann Cathrin Eriksen, handball player ^[17]
• 12 September – Tom Strømstad Olsen, politician
• 29 September –
  • Kyrre Andreassen, writer. ^[18]
  • Frida Melvær, politician ^[19]
• 2 October – Anette Igland, footballer
• 5 October – Ole Robert Reitan, businessperson ^[20]
• 18 October – Line Henriette Holten Hjemdal, politician
• 16 November – Anne Hagenborg, politician
• 17 November – Tonje Sagstuen, handball player ^[21]
• 22 November – Geir Hartly Andreassen, cinematographer
• 22 November – Gunnar Wærness, poet ^[22]
• 2 December – Linn T. Sunne, children's writer ^[23]
• 10 December – Arnfinn Kristiansen, bobsledder ^[24]

Notable deaths

Gunnar Jahn

Olaf Barda

Erling Viksjø

• 5 January – Elling M. Solheim, writer (born 1905). ^[25]
• 16 January – Halfdan Gran Olsen, rower and Olympic bronze medallist (b.1910)
• 29 January – Bjarne Guldager, sprinter (b.1897)
• 31 January – Gunnar Jahn, jurist, economist and politician (b.1883)
• 21 February – Johs Haugerud, politician (b.1896)
• 24 February – Hartvig Svendsen, politician (b.1902)
• 1 March – Harald Damsleth, cartoonist, illustrator and ad-man (b.1906)
• 11 March – Julius Sundsvik, novelist and newspaper editor (b.1891)
• 1 April – Hans Svarstad, politician (b.1883)
• 2 May – Olaf Barda, chess player, first Norwegian International Master (b.1909)
• 24 May – Haakon Hansen, politician (b.1907)
• 1 June – Aksel Jacobsen Bogdanoff, communist (b.1922)
• 2 June – Per Mathiesen, gymnast and Olympic gold medallist (b.1885)
• 26 June – Halvor Birkeland, sailor and Olympic gold medallist (b.1894)
• 29 June – Thorstein John Ohnstad Fretheim, politician (b.1886)
• 15 July – Nic. Stang, art historian and writer (b.1908)
• 16 July – Birger Brandtzæg, merchant and owner of a fishing station (b.1893) ^[26]
• 19 July – Hans Kristian Bromstad, politician (b.1903)
• 20 July – Olaf Ingebretsen, gymnast and Olympic bronze medallist (b.1892)
• 6 August – Finn Moe, politician (b.1902) ^[27]
• 19 August – Arthur Sundt, politician (b.1899)
• 4 September – Bjarne Lyngstad, politician and Minister (b.1901)
• 23 September – Signy Arctander, statistician and economist (b.1895) ^[28]
• 29 September – Johannes Lid, botanist (b.1886) ^[29]
• 5 October – Marit Hemstad, sprinter (b.1928)
• 5 October – Marit Øiseth, cross country skier (b.1928)
• 17 October – Leif Grøner, banker and politician (b.1884)
• 22 October – Håkon Ellingsen, rower and Olympic bronze medallist (b.1894)
• 18 November – Leif Bjorholt Burull, politician (b.1895)
• 24 November – Nils Hønsvald, politician and Minister (b.1899)
• 2 December – Erling Viksjø, architect (b.1910) ^[30]
• 10 December – Arne Langset, politician (b.1893)
• 12 December – Kristian Johan Bodøgaard, politician (b.1885)
• 20 December – Svale Solheim, folklorist (born 1903). ^[31]

References

1. "The Helsinki Treaty | Nordic cooperation". www.norden.org. Retrieved 29 August 2025.
2. "CANADA: PASSENGERS ABANDON FLAMING NORWEGIAN CRUISE SHIP". British Pathé. Retrieved 29 August 2025.
3. "«De ti oljebud» vedtatt for 50 år siden". Stortinget (in Norwegian). 14 June 2021. Retrieved 29 August 2025.
4. Sketches, Jazz (12 March 2024). "Sonny Rollins at the 1971 Kongsberg Jazz Festival in Norway | Jazz Sketches". Jazz Sketches. Retrieved 29 August 2025.
5. Fredriksen, Sten. "HJEM". Kalvøyafestivalen. Retrieved 29 August 2025.
6. Fotballforbund, Norges. "Fredrikstads cuphistorie". fotball.no - Norges Fotballforbund (in Norwegian). Retrieved 29 August 2025.
7. "Språk- og litteraturpriser" (in Norwegian). Riksmålsforbundet. Archived from the original on 1 April 2010. Retrieved 28 March 2009.
8. "Mads Wiel Nygaards Legat" (in Norwegian). Forfatterportalen.no. Retrieved 17 February 2009.
9. "Lagesen, May Britt (1971-)". stortinget.no (in Norwegian). Retrieved 15 October 2021.
10. Bryhn, Rolf. "Hilde Synnøve Lid". In Bolstad, Erik (ed.). Store norske leksikon (in Norwegian). Oslo: Norsk nettleksikon. Retrieved 12 February 2023.
11. Tvedt, Knut Are. "Bengt Rune Strifeldt". In Bolstad, Erik (ed.). Store norske leksikon (in Norwegian). Oslo: Norsk nettleksikon. Retrieved 31 January 2023.
12. Tvedt, Knut Are. "Åslaug Sem-Jacobsen". In Bolstad, Erik (ed.). Store norske leksikon (in Norwegian). Oslo: Norsk nettleksikon. Retrieved 21 October 2021.
13. "Pia Wedege". olympedia.org. Retrieved 24 August 2021.
14. "Hanne Beate Stenvaag" (in Norwegian). Oslo, Norway: Red Party . Retrieved 14 September 2025.
15. Berg-Nordlie, Mikkel. "Vibeke Larsen". In Bolstad, Erik (ed.). Store norske leksikon (in Norwegian). Oslo: Norsk nettleksikon. Retrieved 22 January 2023.
16. Myklebust, Eivind. "Steinar Opstad". In Bolstad, Erik (ed.). Store norske leksikon (in Norwegian). Oslo: Norsk nettleksikon. Retrieved 25 March 2023.
17. "Ann-Cathrin Eriksen". olympedia.org. Retrieved 20 August 2021.
18. Herzog, Ingvild Christine. "Kyrre Andreassen". In Bolstad, Erik (ed.). Store norske leksikon (in Norwegian). Oslo: Norsk nettleksikon. Retrieved 27 March 2025.
19. Tvedt, Knut Are. "Frida Melvær". In Bolstad, Erik (ed.). Store norske leksikon (in Norwegian). Oslo: Norsk nettleksikon. Retrieved 1 September 2021.
20. Brekke, Stian. "Ole Robert Reitan". In Bolstad, Erik (ed.). Store norske leksikon (in Norwegian). Oslo: Norsk nettleksikon. Retrieved 11 March 2023.
21. "Tonje Sagstuen". olympedia.org. Retrieved 19 August 2021.
22. Bolstad, Erik (ed.). "Gunnar Wærness". Store norske leksikon (in Norwegian). Oslo: Norsk nettleksikon. Retrieved 11 January 2023.
23. Bae, Øystein Espe. "Linn T. Sunne". In Bolstad, Erik (ed.). Store norske leksikon (in Norwegian). Oslo: Norsk nettleksikon. Retrieved 7 July 2021.
24. "Arnfinn Kristiansen". olympedia.org. Retrieved 21 August 2021.
25. Gylseth, Christopher Hals. "Elling M. Solheim". In Bolstad, Erik (ed.). Store norske leksikon (in Norwegian). Oslo: Norsk nettleksikon. Retrieved 15 January 2025.
26. Steenstrup, Bjørn, ed. (1968). "Brandtzæg, Birger". Hvem er Hvem? (in Norwegian) (10 ed.). Oslo: Aschehoug.
27. Eriksen, Knut Einar. "Finn Moe". In Helle, Knut (ed.). Norsk biografisk leksikon (in Norwegian). Oslo: Kunnskapsforlaget. Retrieved 23 December 2014.
28. Bolstad, Erik (ed.). "Signy Arctander". Store norske leksikon (in Norwegian). Oslo: Norsk nettleksikon. Retrieved 9 January 2024.
29. Sunding, Per. "Johannes Lid". In Helle, Knut (ed.). Norsk biografisk leksikon (in Norwegian). Oslo: Kunnskapsforlaget. Retrieved 23 November 2012.
30. Gunnarsjaa, Arne. "Erling Viksjø". In Bolstad, Erik (ed.). Store norske leksikon (in Norwegian). Oslo: Norsk nettleksikon. Retrieved 20 August 2021.
31. Kvideland, Reimund. "Svale Solheim". In Bolstad, Erik (ed.). Store norske leksikon (in Norwegian). Oslo: Norsk nettleksikon. Retrieved 1 December 2025.