Events from the year 2006 in Finland.
Incumbents President: Tarja Halonen Prime Minister: Matti Vanhanen Speaker: Paavo Lipponen Events January 1: Municipalities of Rovaniemi and Rovaniemen maalaiskunta united. January 15: The first round of the 2006 presidential election. January 29: Tarja Halonen selected as the president on the second round of the 2006 presidential election. She occupied the position from 2006 to 2012. March 16: Translation of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince published at midnight. March 29: Partial solar eclipse. May 1: Rioting in Helsinki after EuroMayDay demonstrations at the VR warehouses. May 5: One of the two VR warehouses burned down in an apparent arson attack only a few days before their demolition was to begin. May 20: Lordi wins the Eurovision Song Contest 2006 in Athens, Greece. May 26: A crowd of 90,000 celebrates the victory of Eurovision Song Contest 2006 at the Market Square, Helsinki. May 29: An arsonist burns the roof of the Porvoo Cathedral causing massive damage to the building. May 31: Double murderer Antti Taskinen is sentenced to life in prison. July 1: Finland receives the presidency of the Council of the European Union. July 25: Jarno Mäkinen, a Finnish UNTSO observer killed in an Israeli attack during the 2006 Israel-Lebanon conflict. October 22: Gordon B. Hinckley dedicates the Helsinki Finland Temple.
Sports Winter Olympic Games held in Turin, Italy: February 26: Finland wins silver after losing to Sweden in the ice hockey.
Births
Deaths January 5: Ilpo Hakasalo, radio journalist January 16: Ville-Veikko Salminen, actor (b. 1937) January 25: Matti Tuominen, actor February 10: Kari K. Laurla, heraldist February 23: Mauri Favén, painter (b. 1920) April 18: Anna Hagman, the oldest living person in Finland at the time April 19: Tuure Salo, politician (b. 1921) April 24: Erik Bergman, composer, academician (b. 1911) April 25: Tabe Slioor, socialite, celebrity journalist (b. 1926) May 1: Rauno Lehtinen, conductor, composer (b. 1932) May 3: Nandor Mikola, painter (b. 1911) May 25: Kari S. Tikka, professor of finance, murdered (b. 1944) June 4: Jorma Palo, emeritus professor (b. 1930) July 8: Kari Kontio, author July 12: Kari Mannerla, board and card game designer (b. 1930) July 12: Jorma Pilkevaara, basketball player (b. 1945) July 14: Alice Kaira, painter July 16: Aulis Virtanen, sports editor (b. 1926) July 17: Paavo Einiö July 17: Paula Björkqvist, politician, killed by her husband (b. 1975) July 18: Ilmari Aarre-Ahtio, actor July 20: Risto Karlsson, journalist and author August 13: Elina Karjalainen, author (b. 1927) August 15: Jorma Weneskoski, Jazz musician and manager August 19: Jarkko Laine, author (b. 1947) September 8: Jaakko Pöyry, the founder of Pöyry oyj (b. 1924) November 24: Juice Leskinen, singer and songwriter (b. 1950) December 3: Raili Halttu, Olympic sprinter (b. 1909)
References