1981 in Norway
# 1981 in Norway

Events in the year 1981 in Norway.

## Incumbents

* Monarch – Olav V
* Prime Minister – Odvar Nordli (Labour Party) until 4 February, Gro Harlem Brundtland (Labour Party) until 14 October, Kåre Willoch (Conservative Party)

## Events

* 4 February – Brundtland's First Cabinet was appointed. Gro Harlem Brundtland becomes the first female Prime Minister of Norway
* 14 October – The government of Gro Harlem Brundtland resigns
* 14 October – Willoch's First Cabinet was appointed.
* 5 November – Five people are killed when a seaplane crashes in the Forsand municipality.
* 6 December – The 1981 Parliamentary election takes place.
* Norway becomes the first country in the world to enact a law to prevent discrimination against homosexuals.
* The Hessdalen light UFO phenomenon emerged in December and occurred with high frequency for the next several years.

## Notable births

### January

* 8 January – Kristin Mürer Stemland, cross-country skier.
* 9 January – Ole Erevik, handball player.
* 9 January – Christian Møllerop, LGBT rights activist
* 12 January – Solveig Gulbrandsen, footballer
* 18 January – Maria Parr, children's writer.
* 18 January – Martin Taxt, jazz musician
* 19 January – Bjørn Arve Lund, footballer
* 27 January – Thomas Løvold, curler
* 28 January – Erlend Hanstveit, footballer

### February

* 3 February – Guri Melby, politician
* 13 February – Ingrid Lønningdal, artist
* 19 February – Thomas Holm, footballer
* 25 February – Anne Solsvik, politician
* 28 February – Tjostolv Moland, army officer and security contractor (died 2013)

### March

* 5 March – Mazyar Keshvari, politician
* 7 March – Mona Fastvold, filmmaker and actress
* 8 March – Jonas Solberg Andersen, ice hockey player
* 17 March – Simen Brenne, footballer
* 18 March – Tora Berger, biathlete
* 18 March – Ingrid Olava, singer and musician
* 21 March – Leni Larsen Kaurin, footballer
* 21 March – Arcane Station, musician, producer and songwriter
* 23 March – Ragnhild Kvarberg, middle distance and long-distance runner
* 25 March – Cato Sundberg, musician
* 25 March – Roy Hegreberg, road bicycle racer
* 28 March – Jan Grue, writer and linguist.

### April

* 1 April – Helene Bøksle, singer and actress
* 1 April – Bjørn Einar Romøren, ski jumper
* 2 April – Patrick Holtet, footballer
* 7 April – Amund Maarud, blues/rock musician and composer
* 8 April – Nils Bech, singer
* 8 April – Mari Hagen, politician
* 9 April – Charlotte Frogner, actress
* 15 April – Jon Reidar Øyan, gay rights activist and politician
* 18 April – Hedvig Bjelkevik, speed skater
* 19 April – Lise Klaveness, lawyer and footballer.
* 19 April – Jan Gunnar Solli, footballer
* 23 April – Lars-Henrik Paarup Michelsen, politician
* 27 April – Hilde Marie Kjersem, artist, musician and songwriter
* 30 April – Kristin Størmer Steira, cross-country skier

### May

* 14 May – Iselin Nybø, politician
* 19 May – Janicke Gunvaldsen, racing cyclist
* 25 May – Anette Trettebergstuen, politician
* 27 May – Hanne Blåfjelldal, politician

### June

* 3 June – Kristoffer Paulsen Vatshaug, footballer
* 4 June – Linn Nyrønning, footballere
* 4 June – Jan Trygve Røyneland, television and film writer
* 12 June – Afua Hirsch, writer, broadcaster, and former barrister
* 16 June – Ola Kvernberg, jazz violinist and composer.
* 16 June – Richard Skog, strongman competitor
* 16 June – Knut Walde, footballer
* 20 June – Brede Hangeland, footballer
* 20 June – Lene Storløkken, footballer.

### July

* 1 July – Kirsti Bergstø, politician
* 13 July – Sigurd Hole, jazz musician
* 16 July – Vigdis Hårsaker, handball player
* 18 July – Sturla Torkildsen, fencer
* 19 July – Anne Lise Frøkedal, singer-songwriter
* 23 July – Lisa Aisato, illustrator and visual artist.
* 27 July – Sverre Krogh Sundbø, poker player
* 28 July – Lars Fredrik Frøislie, musician
* 28 July – Frank Kjosås, actor
* 29 July – Gjermund Larsen, traditional folk musician and composer

### August

* 1 August – Pia Haraldsen, TV personality
* 3 August – Ingvild Stensland, footballer
* 3 August – Erlend Tvinnereim, operatic tenor
* 7 August – Ingvill Måkestad Bovim, track and field athlete
* 7 August – Ann Iren Mørkved, footballer
* 9 August – Azar Karadaş, soccer player
* 21 August – Jon Engen-Helgheim, politician
* 28 August – Marius Johnsen, footballer

### September

* 1 September – Inger Lise Hansen, politician
* 3 September – Fredrik Klock, footballer
* 8 September – Morten Gamst Pedersen, footballer
* 10 September – Morten Adamsen, competition rower.
* 11 September – Vemund Brekke Skard, footballer
* 22 September – Ingrid Vetlesen, soprano
* 23 September – Ryan Wiik, actor and entrepreneur
* 25 September – Leo Olsen, footballer
* 27 September – Espen Hægeland, footballer
* 28 September – Cecilia Brækhus, professional boxer and kickboxer

### October

* 8 October – Sten Ove Eike, footballer
* 13 October – Vidar Norheim, drummer and songwriter
* 24 October – Fredrik Mikkelsen, musician and composer
* 28 October – Andreas Loven, jazz pianist
* 29 October – Lene Alexandra, singer and model
* 30 October – Lars Petter Sveen, novelist.

### November

* 3 November – Gunhild Følstad, footballer
* 20 November – Marit Tveite Bystøl, ski mountaineer
* 20 November – Espen Hoff, footballer
* 30 November – Belinda Braza, singer, choreographer, artist and actor

### December

* 6 December – Morten Værnes, ice sledge hockey player
* 17 December – Kim Myhr, guitarist and composer
* 19 December – Bjørnar Moxnes, politician
* 19 December – Espen Nystuen, footballer
* 20 December – John Olav Nilsen, singer and songwriter
* 24 December – Solveig Heilo, composer, artist, musician, music producer, arranger, designer and costume designer

### Full date missing

* Lars Akerhaug, journalist and non-fiction author
* Ivar Loe Bjørnstad, jazz and rock musician
* Marius Bjugan, orienteering competitor
* Ida Hegazi Høyer, writer
* Annette Münch, children's writer, playwright and non-fiction writer.
* Øystein Kvaal Østerbø, orienteering competitor.
* Kjersti Reenaas, ski-orienteering competitor
* Julian Skar, composer and multi-media artist
* Todd Terje, DJ, songwriter, and record producer

## Notable deaths

* 3 January – Karl Evang, physician and civil servant (born 1902).
* 4 January – Aage Thor Falkanger Sr., judge (born 1902)
* 9 January – Jack Nielsen, tennis player (born 1896)
* 12 January – Olav Marensius Strandås, politician (born 1900)
* 16 January – Birger Haug, high jumper (born 1908)
* 20 January – Richard Frydenlund, wrestler (born 1891)
* 22 January – Torgeir Svendsen, politician (born 1910).
* 29 January – Karl Ludvig Bugge, civil servant (born 1902)
* 1 February – Geirr Tveitt, composer and pianist (born 1908)
* 11 February – Haakon Olsen Wika, politician (born 1899)
* 12 February – Trygve de Lange, lawyer (born 1918)
* 11 March – Jonas Enge, politician (born 1908)
* 30 March – Christian L. Holm, politician (born 1892)
* 4 April – Aanund Bjørnsson Berdal, engineer (born 1888).
* 15 April – Birger Brekke, Scout leader (born 1891)
* 15 April – Anton Fredrik Klaveness, equestrian and ship-owner (born 1903)
* 28 April – Kristian Horn, botanist and humanist (born 1903)
* 5 May – Rolf Bloch Hansen, military officer and skiing official (born 1894)
* 9 May – Rolf Just Nilsen, singer and actor (born 1931)
* 11 May – Odd Hassel, physical chemist and Nobel Laureate (born 1897)
* 18 May – Ola Høyland, politician (born 1890)
* 22 May – Reimar Riefling, classical pianist, music teacher, and music critic (born 1898)
* 23 May – Johan Georg A. Ræder, diplomat (born 1905)
* 29 May – Mette Lange-Nielsen, actress (born 1929)
* 7 June – Lars Johan Danbolt, priest (born 1895)
* 7 June – Asbjørn Listerud, politician (born 1905)
* 11 June – Kristian Østby, naval aviator (born 1900)
* 14 June – Henry Imsland, illustrator (born 1900)
* 22 June – Petter Hol, gymnast (born 1883)
* 25 June – Otto Hjersing Munthe-Kaas, politician, businessman and military officer (born 1883)
* 5 July – Olav Larssen, newspaper editor and politician (born 1894)
* 6 July – Kaare Fostervoll, educator and politician (born 1891)
* 9 July – Nikolai Paul Kornelius Molvik, politician (born 1905)
* 19 July – John Aalmo, (born 1902)
* 31 July – Christian Stray, lawyer and politician (born 1894)
* 2 August – Kåre Norum, educator (born 1907).
* 11 August – Arne Skaare, politician (born 1907)
* 15 August – Jørgen Løvset, professor of medicine, gynecology and obstetrics (born 1896)
* 25 August – Jens Gram Dunker, architect (born 1892)
* 26 August – Tove Mohr, physician and proponent for women's rights (born 1891)
* 28 August – Bjarne Fjærtoft, politician (born 1899)
* 11 September – Erling Østerberg, police officer (born 1901)
* 26 September – Jens Edv. Haugland, politician (born 1924)
* 9 October – Per Arneberg, poet, prosaist and translator (born 1901)
* 26 October – Olaf Sunde, lawyer and workers' rights activist (born 1915)
* 31 October – Bent Røiseland, politician (born 1902)
* 4 November – Sverre Helgesen, high jumper (born 1903)
* 25 November Sigbjørn Hølmebakk, author (born 1922)
* 17 December – Ada Kramm, stage and film actress (born 1899)
* 18 December – Olav Rasmussen Langeland, politician (born 1904)

### Full date unknown

* Alf-Jørgen Aas, painter (born 1915)
* Tor Hermod Refsum, painter (born 1894)
* Knut Robberstad, jurist and philologist (born 1899)
