Urho Kekkonen
| Urho Kekkonen | |
|---|---|
Urho Kekkonen in 1959
|
|
| 8th President of Finland | |
| In office 1 March 1956 – 27 January 1982 |
|
| Preceded by | Juho Kusti Paasikivi |
| Succeeded by | Mauno Koivisto |
| Prime Minister of Finland | |
| In office 20 October 1954 – 3 March 1956 |
|
| President | Juho Kusti Paasikivi |
| Preceded by | Ralf Törngren |
| Succeeded by | Karl-August Fagerholm |
| In office 17 March 1950 – 17 November 1953 |
|
| President | Juho Kusti Paasikivi |
| Preceded by | Karl-August Fagerholm |
| Succeeded by | Sakari Tuomioja |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 3 September 1900 Pielavesi, Finland, Russian Empire |
| Died | 31 August 1986 (aged 85) Helsinki, Finland |
| Nationality | Finnish |
| Political party | Agrarian League 1933–1965: Centre Party 1965–1982 |
| Height | 1.81 m (5 ft 11 in) |
| Spouse(s) | Sylvi Salome Uino |
| Children | Matti, Taneli |
| Residence | Tamminiemi |
| Alma mater | University of Helsinki |
| Profession | Lawyer, police officer, journalist |
| Religion | Lutheranism |
| Signature |  |
Urho Kaleva Kekkonen (September 3 1900 – August 31 1986) was the President of Finland between 1956 and 1982. He was also Prime Minister of Finland before that.
Kekkonen was born in Pielavesi. He took part of the Finnish Civil War. He studied law and then worked in the Finnish secret police. He opposed the Communists and later fascists.
Kekkonen became the Interior Minister in 1937, and he then tried to ban the fascist party IKL.
After Second World War, in the year 1950 Kekkonen became the first time Prime Minister of Finland. He tried to keep good relations with the Soviet Union like president Juho Kusti Paasikivi.
The foreign policy doctrine established by Paasikivi and Kekkonen, The "Paasikivi-Kekkonen line", aimed at Finland's survival as an independent sovereign, democratic, and capitalist country in the immediate proximity of the Soviet Union.[1]
Kekkonen was elected the President of Finland in 1956, after president Paasikivi. He tried to keep Finland neutral country, which means it was not part of any military alliance like NATO or Warsaw Pact in Cold War.
Urho Kekkonen led the underwriting of the Helsinki Accords of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe between European countries, United States and Soviet Union in 1975.
Kekkonen became sick in 1981 and gave up the presidency.
He died in 1986, aged 86.
