# List of people from Helsinki

The following are notable people who were either born, raised or have lived for a significant period of time in the city of Helsinki, Finland.

## Academics and scientists

* Lars Ahlfors (1907–1996), mathematician, Fields Medalist
* Kai Donner (1888–1935), linguist, anthropologist & politician
* Peter Forsskål (1732–1763), Swedish-Finnish naturalist & orientalist
* Ragnar Granit (1900–1991), Finnish-Swedish neurophysiologist, Nobel laureate in Physiology or Medicine (1967)
* Elina Haavio-Mannila (born 1933), social scientist & professor
* Bengt Holmström (born 1949), Professor of Economics at MIT, Nobel laureate in Economics (2016)
* Olli Lehto (1925–2020), mathematician
* Rolf Nevanlinna (1895–1980), mathematician, university teacher & writer
* Gunnar Nordström (1881–1923), theoretical physicist
* Jakob Sederholm (1863–1934), petrologist
* Artturi Ilmari Virtanen (1895–1973), chemist, Nobel laureate in Chemistry (1945)
* Marianne Kärrholm (1921–2018), Swedish chemical engineer and professor
* Ulla Vuorela (1945–2011), professor of social anthropology

## Artists and designers
### Architects

* Axel Hampus Dalström (1829–1882), architect
* Carl Ludvig Engel (1778–1840), German architect
* Juha Leiviskä (born 1936), architect

### Fiber art, textile design

* Kirsti Ilvessalo (1920–2019), textile artist

## Entrepreneurs

* Karl Fazer (1866–1932), baker, confectioner, chocolatier, entrepreneur, & sport shooter
* Peter Nygård (born 1941), Finnish-Canadian businessman, arrested in December 2020 for sex crimes
* Armi Ratia (1912–1979), textile designer & co-founder of Marimekko
* Linus Torvalds (born 1969), software engineer, creator of Linux

## Clergy

* Lennart Koskinen (born 1944), Evangelical Lutheran Bishop of Visby (2003–2011)
* Samuel Lehtonen (1921–2010), Evangelical Lutheran Bishop of Helsinki (1982–1991)

## Filmmakers

* Aki Kaurismäki (born 1957), film director, screenwriter & producer
* Erkki Karu (1887–1935), film director & producer
* Gustaf Molander (1888–1973), Swedish director & screenwriter
* Diana Ringo (born 1992), film director & composer
* Mauritz Stiller (1883–1928), Russian-Swedish director & screenwriter

## Musicians

* Paavo Berglund (1929–2012), conductor
* Laci Boldemann (1921–1969), composer
* Reino Helismaa (1913–1965), writer, film actor & singer
* Tuomas Holopainen (born 1976), songwriter, multi-instrumentalist & record producer
* Lill Lindfors (born 1940), Finnish-Swedish singer & television presenter
* Magnus Lindberg (born 1958), composer & pianist
* Georg Malmstén (1902–1981), singer, musician, composer, orchestra director & actor
* Tauno Marttinen (1912–2008), composer
* Oskar Merikanto (1868–1924), composer
* Jari Mäenpää (born 1977), founder, former lead guitarist & current lead singer in melodic death metal band Wintersun, former lead singer & guitarist of folk metal band Ensiferum
* Klaus Mäkelä (born 1996), cellist & conductor
* Susanna Mälkki (born 1969), conductor
* Sakari Oramo (born 1965), principal conductor of BBC Symphony Orchestra
* Einojuhani Rautavaara (1928–2016), composer
* Kaija Saariaho (born 1952), composer
* Esa-Pekka Salonen (born 1958), composer, principal conductor of Philharmonia Orchestra (2008–2021)
* Heikki Sarmanto (born 1939), jazz pianist & composer
* Agnes Tschetschulin (1859–1942), composer & violinist
* Ville Valo (born 1976), lead singer of the rock band HIM
* Lauri Ylönen (born 1979), lead singer of the rock band The Rasmus
* Alexi Laiho (1979-2020), Founding member, lead vocalist & lead guitarist of Finnish Melodic Death Metal band Children of Bodom

## Entertainment

* George Gaynes (1917–2016), American actor & singer
* Maggie Gripenberg (1881–1976), dancer
* Ella Eronen (1900-1987), actor
* Vesa-Matti Loiri (1945–2022), actor, comedian, singer
* Markku Peltola (1956–2007), actor & musician
* Anne Pohtamo (born 1955), beauty queen, Miss Suomi 1975, Miss Universe 1975
* Asko Sarkola (born 1945), actor

## Political and military figures

* Tarja Cronberg (born 1943), politician
* Tarja Halonen (born 1943), President of Finland (2000–2012)
* Johan Helo (1889–1966), lawyer & politician
* Abdirahim Hussein Mohamed (born 1978), Finnish-Somalian media personality & politician
* Yrjö Leino (1897–1961), communist politician, Minister of the Interior (1946–1948)
* Carl Gustaf Emil Mannerheim (1867–1951), statesman and Marshal of Finland
* Elisabeth Rehn (born 1935), Minister of Defence (1990–1995)
* Alexander Stubb (born 1968), Prime Minister of Finland (2014–2015)
* Väinö Tanner (1881–1966), Prime Minister of Finland (1926–1927)
* Toivo Wiherheimo (1898–1970), economist & politician
* Karl Wiik (1883–1946), Social Democratic politician

## Sports people

* Nina Ehrnrooth (born 1962), alpine skier
* Kim Hirschovits (born 1982), ice hockey player
* Shawn Huff, Finnish basketball player
* Walter Jakobsson (1882–1957), figure-skater
* Petteri Koponen, Finnish basketball player
* Emil Lindh (1867–1937), sailor
* Lennart Lindroos (1886–?), swimmer, Olympic games 1912
* Hanno Möttölä Finnish basketball player
* Miron Ruina (born 1998), Finnish-Israeli basketball player
* Riitta Salin (born 1950), athlete
* Sasu Salin (born 1991), Finnish basketball player
* Teemu Selänne (born 1970), Hall of Fame ice hockey player

## Writers

* Helena Anhava (1925-2018), poet, author & translator
* Irja Agnes Browallius (1901–1968), Swedish writer
* Bo Carpelan (1926–2011), Finnish-Swedish writer, literary critic & translator
* Elmer Diktonius (1896–1961), Finnish-Swedish writer & composer
* Tove Jansson (1914–2001), Finnish-Swedish writer, painter, cartoonist, author of “Moomins”
* Märta Tikkanen (born 1935), Finnish-Swedish writer
* Sirkka Turkka (1939–2021), poet
* Mika Waltari (1908–1979), writer

## Others

* Minna Craucher (1891–1932), socialite & spy
* Elin Törnudd (1924– 2008), Finnish chief librarian & professor