Bjørnstjerne Bjørnson

Bjørnstjerne Martinius Bjørnson was born 8 December 1832 and grew into one of the "four greats" of Norwegian literature alongside Ibsen, Lie, and Kielland. His prolific output ranged across poetry, polemics, and cultural debate, making him extremely influential in Norwegian public life and Scandinavian circles. In 1903 he received the Nobel Prize in Literature "as a tribute to his noble, magnificent and versatile poetry, which has always been distinguished by both the freshness of its inspiration and the rare purity of its spirit" - the first Norwegian to claim the honor. His lyrics to "Ja, vi elsker dette landet" became Norway's national anthem, and composers including Fredrikke Waaler and Anna Teichmüller set his texts to music. He died 26 April 1910.