Born: 15 April 1930, Iceland
Died: NA
Country most active: Iceland
Also known as: NA
The following is excerpted from Infinite Women founder Allison Tyra’s book The View from the Hill: Women Who Made Their Mark After 40.
Vigdís Finnbogadóttir was a prominent figure in Iceland before becoming the first woman in the world to be democratically elected as a head of state in 1980. Born in 1930, she was best known as a cultural leader, having served as director of the Reykjavík Theatre Company (Leikfélag Reykjavíkur) from 1972 to 1980 and a a member of the Advisory Committee on Cultural Affairs in Nordic Countries, becoming chair in 1978. She was also popular for presenting cultural programs on Iceland State Television, and was a divorcée and single mother, having been the first single woman to be allowed to adopt a child in Iceland. She defeated three male opponents and was re-elected three more times before retiring in 1996. As of the time of writing, her 16-year tenure remains the record for a democratically elected female head of state.