January Birthdays

 

  • Margareta Eriksdotter, queen consort of King Gustav Vasa, was born in 1516 on January 1.

  • January 1
    Margareta Eriksdotter (1516-1551) was a queen consort of King Gustav I (aka Gustav Vasa). She was born at Ekeberg Castle and belonged to the early Leijonhufvud clan of Swedish nobility. Leijonhufvud means Lion’s Head. Her father, Erik Abrahamsson Leijonhufvud, was executed at a Stockholm bloodbath. Margareta was already engaged when the king decided to marry her; her fiancé had to do with her sister instead. Margareta was described as intelligent and beautiful, and the marriage was considered a happy one; her husband was not known to be unfaithful to her. She devoted her life to domestic duties and family, and remained a Catholic her entire life. It was painful for her to make clothes and curtains of the textiles the king confiscated from old Catholic convents. It does not seem she ever used influence to promote her own beliefs in politics, in religion or otherwise. She allegedly had the ability to keep the king’s temperament under control, was a calming influence on him, managed to get punishments he meted out reduced and advised him to show mercy and leniency—all of which made her popular. She gave donations to the (still active) Vadstena Abbey, following the example of her family.

  • Anna Lindmarker, a Swedish journalist and news anchor at TV4, was born in 1961 on January 5.

  • January 5
    Anna Lindmarker (1961- ) is a Swedish journalist and news anchor at TV4. Lindmarker was born in Stockholm, the daughter of foreign correspondent Ingmar Lindmarker. She grew up in cities like Moscow, New York and Washington. After high school she began freelancing and later studied at Poppius School of Journalism. In the mid 1980s she worked at Sveriges Radio (Swedish Radio) on the “Dagens Eko,” a program that provides news bulletins of various lengths. Lindmarker has worked at TV4 since 1997. She has three sons.

  • Anton Axelsson, a professional ice hockey player, was born in 1986 on January 16.

  • January 16
    Anton Axelsson (1986- ) is a professional ice hockey player, the current left-winger for Timrå IK. Axelsson was born in Kungälv and has also played with Frölunda HC. Axelsson was drafted 192th overall in the 2004 NHL Entry Draft by the Detroit Red Wings while playing for Frölunda HC U-20 team. He advanced to the senior team for the 2005-2006 season and spent two seasons there before signing a two-year contract with Timrå in April 2007. He is often compared to his older brother, P.J. “Pebben” Axelsson, as he is a strong skater with good hockey sense and a so-called two-way ability.

  • Björn Afzelius, singer, song-writer and guitarist, was born in 1947 on January 27.

  • January 27
    Björn Afzelius (1947-1999) was a Swedish singer, song-writer and guitarist, known for his often political songs about love and the joys of life. Afzelius was a socialist, born in Huskvarna in Småland, who came in contact with music at a very young age. In 1970, he formed a group called Hoola Bandoola Band with Mikael Wiehe. Wiehe and Afzelius became very good friends and worked together long after the group dissolved in 1975. Afzelius released his first solo album in 1974, his last one in 1999. Some of his most popular songs are "Ikaros," "Tusen bitar" (Thousand pieces), "Sång till friheten" (Song for Freedom - which was originally recorded by Cuban Silvio Rodriguez as "El Día Feliz Que Está Ilegando"), "Kungens man" (The king's man), "Tankar i Havanna" (Thoughts in Havanna) and "Till min kära" (For my dear). He died from lung cancer in 1999, 52 years old, but remains a most beloved artist in Scandinavia.