Helsinki
Helsinki ranks 70th in number of biographies on Pantheon, behind Liverpool, Santiago, and Pittsburgh. The most famous people from Helsinki are Tove Jansson, Tarja Halonen, and Artturi Ilmari Virtanen. The most famous people who died in Helsinki are Alvar Aalto, Tove Jansson, and Martti Ahtisaari. Helsinki has been the birth place of many athletes, and politicians and the death place of many politicians, and athletes. Helsinki is located in Finland.
Helsinki is the capital and most populous city in Finland. It is on the shore of the Gulf of Finland and is the seat of southern Finland's Uusimaa region. About 690,000 people live in the municipality, with 1.3 million in the capital region and 1.6 million in the metropolitan area. As the most populous urban area in Finland, it is the country's most significant centre for politics, education, finance, culture, and research. Helsinki is 80 kilometres (50 mi) north of Tallinn, Estonia, 400 kilometres (250 mi) east of Stockholm, Sweden, and 300 kilometres (190 mi) west of Saint Petersburg, Russia. Read more on Wikipedia
People
Between 0 and 1999, Helsinki was the birth place of 170 globally memorable people, including Tove Jansson, Tarja Halonen, and Artturi Ilmari Virtanen. Additionaly, 156 globally memorable people have passed away in Helsinki including Alvar Aalto, Tove Jansson, and Martti Ahtisaari.
People Born in Helsinki
Go to all RankingsTove Jansson
WRITER
1914 - 2001
HPI: 78.49
Rank: 1
Tarja Halonen
POLITICIAN
1943 - Present
HPI: 75.27
Rank: 2
Artturi Ilmari Virtanen
CHEMIST
1895 - 1973
HPI: 73.42
Rank: 3
Adolf Erik Nordenskiöld
EXPLORER
1832 - 1901
HPI: 72.76
Rank: 4
Mika Waltari
WRITER
1908 - 1979
HPI: 72.59
Rank: 5
Helene Schjerfbeck
PAINTER
1862 - 1946
HPI: 69.51
Rank: 6
Linus Torvalds
COMPUTER SCIENTIST
1969 - Present
HPI: 69.10
Rank: 7
Lars Ahlfors
MATHEMATICIAN
1907 - 1996
HPI: 69.05
Rank: 8
George Gaynes
ACTOR
1917 - 2016
HPI: 68.85
Rank: 9
Hjalmar Siilasvuo
POLITICIAN
1892 - 1947
HPI: 67.98
Rank: 10
Bengt Holmström
ECONOMIST
1949 - Present
HPI: 67.33
Rank: 11
Alexander Stubb
POLITICIAN
1968 - Present
HPI: 66.76
Rank: 12
Newly Added People Born in Helsinki
Go to all RankingsMichael Monroe
SINGER
1962 - Present
HPI: 54.39
Rank: 82
Tony Halme
WRESTLER
1963 - 2010
HPI: 51.36
Rank: 95
Sakari Oramo
CONDUCTOR
1965 - Present
HPI: 48.14
Rank: 111
Samu Haber
MUSICIAN
1976 - Present
HPI: 46.81
Rank: 114
Klaus Mäkelä
CONDUCTOR
1996 - Present
HPI: 46.72
Rank: 115
Anders Adlercreutz
ARCHITECT
1970 - Present
HPI: 46.18
Rank: 118
Mikko Franck
MUSICIAN
1979 - Present
HPI: 45.49
Rank: 121
Jyrki Järvi
ATHLETE
1966 - Present
HPI: 44.39
Rank: 123
Jalmari Helander
FILM DIRECTOR
1976 - Present
HPI: 44.09
Rank: 126
Pekka Himanen
PHILOSOPHER
1973 - Present
HPI: 42.28
Rank: 134
Jere Karalahti
HOCKEY PLAYER
1975 - Present
HPI: 41.65
Rank: 137
Patrik Antonius
POKER PLAYER
1980 - Present
HPI: 41.33
Rank: 138
People Deceased in Helsinki
Go to all RankingsAlvar Aalto
ARCHITECT
1898 - 1976
HPI: 81.52
Rank: 1
Tove Jansson
WRITER
1914 - 2001
HPI: 78.49
Rank: 2
Martti Ahtisaari
POLITICIAN
1937 - 2023
HPI: 76.56
Rank: 3
Frans Eemil Sillanpää
WRITER
1888 - 1964
HPI: 75.78
Rank: 4
Paavo Nurmi
ATHLETE
1897 - 1973
HPI: 75.77
Rank: 5
Urho Kekkonen
POLITICIAN
1900 - 1986
HPI: 74.02
Rank: 6
Artturi Ilmari Virtanen
CHEMIST
1895 - 1973
HPI: 73.42
Rank: 7
Juho Kusti Paasikivi
POLITICIAN
1870 - 1956
HPI: 73.17
Rank: 8
Mika Waltari
WRITER
1908 - 1979
HPI: 72.59
Rank: 9
Risto Ryti
POLITICIAN
1889 - 1956
HPI: 71.68
Rank: 10
Paul Keres
CHESS PLAYER
1916 - 1975
HPI: 70.57
Rank: 11
Mauno Koivisto
POLITICIAN
1923 - 2017
HPI: 70.57
Rank: 12
Newly Added People Deceased in Helsinki
Go to all RankingsOccupations
Most individuals born in present day Helsinki were athletes (23), politicians (18), soccer players (15), writers (14), and singers (14), while most who died were politicians (41), athletes (22), writers (15), architects (8), and painters (8).
Occupational Trends
Over the past 100 years, athletes have been the top profession of globally memorable people born in Helsinki, including Yrjö Hietanen, Tiina Lillak, and Tomi Poikolainen. Whereas, throughout history, athletes have been the profession with the most memorable people born in present day Helsinki, including Gunnar Höckert, Julius Skutnabb, and Armas Taipale.
Places
Overlapping Lives
Below is a visual represetation of the lifespans of the top 25 globally memorable people born in Helsinki since 1700.

































