Urho Kaleva Kekkonen (pronounced [ˈurho ˈkekːonen] (listen); 3 September 1900 – 31 August 1986), often referred to by his initials UKK, was a Finnish politician who served as the eighth and longest-serving president of Finland from 1956 until 1982. He also served as Prime Minister of Finland (1950–53, 1954–56), and held various other cabinet positions. He was the third and most recent president from the Agrarian League/Centre Party. Head of state for nearly 26 years, he dominated Finnish politics for 31 years overall. Holding a large amount of power, he won his later elections with little opposition and has often been classified as an autocrat. Nevertheless, he remains a respected figure.
