2024 in Iceland

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Decades:	2000s 2010s 2020s
See also:	Other events of 2024 Timeline of Icelandic history

Events in the year 2024 in Iceland .

Incumbents

• President: Guðni Th. Jóhannesson (until 1 August); Halla Tómasdóttir (since 1 August)
• Prime Minister: Katrín Jakobsdóttir (until 9 April); Bjarni Benediktsson (until 21 December); Kristrún Frostadóttir (since 21 December)
• Althing: 2021-present Althing
• Speaker of the Althing: Birgir Ármannsson
• President of the Supreme Court: Karl Axelsson

Events

January

• 1 January – President Guðni Th. Jóhannesson announces that he would not be seeking a third term. ^[1]
• 14 January – 2023–2025 Sundhnúkur eruptions: The Reykjanes volcanic system erupts near the town of Grindavík, with one fissure forming inside the town limits. ^[2]

March

• 16 March – A state of emergency is issued in southwestern Iceland after the Reykjanes volcanic system erupts again. ^{[3] [4]}

April

• 5 April – Katrin Jakobsdottir resigns as prime minister in order to run in presidential elections on 1 June. ^[5]

May

• 29 May – Grindavik and the Blue Lagoon are evacuated following a resurgence in activity by the Reykjanes volcanic system. ^[6]

June

• 1 June – 2024 Icelandic presidential election: Halla Tómasdóttir is elected with 32.1% of the vote. ^[7]

August

• 1 August – Halla Tómasdóttir is inaugurated as President of Iceland. ^[8]
• 22 August – 2023–2025 Sundhnúkur eruptions: An eruption is recorded from a new fissure in the Reykjanes volcanic system. ^[9]
• 25 August – A foreign tourist is killed and two others are reported missing after an ice cave collapses at the Breiðamerkurjökull glacier. ^[10]

September

• 1 September – Guðrún Karls Helgudóttir became the fifteenth Bishop of Iceland, succeeding Agnes Sigurðardóttir. ^[11]
• 19 September – A polar bear is shot dead by police in Westfjords after being deemed a threat to residents. The incident marks the first such sighting of the animal in the country since 2016. ^[12]

October

• 13 October – The coalition government led by Prime Minister Bjarni Benediktsson collapses, prompting him to call for new elections. ^[13]

November

• 20 November – 2023–2025 Sundhnúkur eruptions: An eruption is recorded from a new fissure in the Reykjanes volcanic system. ^[14]
• 30 November – 2024 Icelandic parliamentary election: The Social Democratic Alliance outperforms the ruling Independence Party to win a plurality of seats in the Althing. ^[15]

December

• 5 December – The government issues new five-year licences to hunt for whales for the first time since 2023. ^[16]
• 21 December – Kristrún Frostadóttir is sworn in as prime minister. ^[17]

Holidays

Further information: Public holidays in Iceland

Source: ^[18]

• 1 January - New Year's Day

• 28 March - Maundy Thursday
• 29 March - Good Friday
• 31 March - Easter Sunday
• 1 April - Easter Monday
• 25 April - First day of summer
• 1 May - May Day
• 9 May - Ascension Day
• 19 May - Whit Sunday
• 20 May - Whit Monday
• 17 June - National Day
• 5 August - Commerce Day
• 24 December - Christmas Eve
• 25 December - Christmas Day
• 26 December – Boxing Day
• 31 December – New Year's Eve

Art and entertainment

• List of Icelandic submissions for the Academy Award for Best International Feature Film

Deaths

• 1 February: Ásmundur Bjarnason, 96, Olympic sprinter (1948, 1952). ^[19]
• 12 February: Karl Sigurbjörnsson, 77, Evangelical Lutheran prelate, bishop of Iceland (1998–2012). ^[20]
• 6 March: Hreinn Friðfinnsson, 81, artist.

References

1. "Close race as Iceland votes to elect new president". Al Jazeera. Retrieved 2024-06-02.
2. Chen, Heather (2024-01-14). "Icelandic volcano erupts as fishing town ordered to evacuate again". CNN. Retrieved 2024-01-14.
3. "Iceland violent volcanic flare-up triggers state of emergency". BBC. 2024-03-16. Retrieved 2024-03-19.
4. "Neyðarstig Almannavarna vegna eldgoss milli Hagafells og Stóra Skógfells". Almannavarnir (in Icelandic). 2024-03-16. Retrieved 2024-04-04.
5. "Iceland's prime minister resigns to run for president". VOA. 5 April 2024. Retrieved 2 June 2024.
6. "Iceland volcano: Concern for town of Grindavik after new eruption". BBC News. 2024-05-29. Retrieved 2024-05-29.
7. "Iceland: Tomasdottir reportedly wins tight presidential race". dw.com. Retrieved 2024-06-02.
8. Adamsdóttir, Margrét (2024-08-02). "Halla Tómasdóttir becomes Iceland's seventh president". RUV. Retrieved 23 August 2024.
9. "Icelandic volcano erupts as fishing town ordered to evacuate again". Al Jazeera. 23 August 2024. Retrieved 23 August 2024.
10. "Tourist dies after ice collapse in Icelandic glacier". BBC. 26 August 2024. Retrieved 26 August 2024.
11. "Sr. Guðrún Karls Helgudóttir kjörin biskup Íslands". kirkjan.is (in Icelandic). Retrieved 2024-07-06.
12. "A rare polar bear showed up on the shores of Iceland. Police shot it". Associated Press. 20 September 2024. Retrieved 20 September 2024.
13. "Iceland PM calls new election as coalition government collapses". Al Jazeera. 13 October 2024. Retrieved 14 October 2024.
14. "Volcano on Iceland's Reykjanes Peninsula erupts for the 7th time in a year". Associated Press. 20 November 2024. Retrieved 20 November 2024.
15. "Social democrats gain and incumbents are punished in Iceland's election". Associated Press. 1 December 2024. Retrieved 1 December 2024.
16. "Iceland authorises whale hunting until 2029". France 24. 6 December 2024. Retrieved 6 December 2024.
17. "Iceland gets new government under Social Democrat Frostadottir". Euractiv. 22 December 2024. Retrieved 23 December 2024.
18. "Iceland Public Holidays 2024". Public Holidays Global. Retrieved 2 December 2023.
19. "Andlát: Ásmundur Bjarnason". www.mbl.is (in Icelandic). Retrieved 2024-02-13.
20. Sigþórsson, Atli (2024-02-12). "Karl Sigurbjörnsson biskup er dáinn - RÚV.is". RÚV. Retrieved 2024-02-13.

External links

• Online calendar