Rolf Kirkvaag

Rolf Kirkvaag was born in Oslo, Norway on September 20th 1920. He began working for NRK (Norwegian National Broadcasting) radio in 1947, fronting a popular family show from 1953. In 1956 he survived a plane crash in Hummelfjell, Norway, and was hailed as a hero when he walked to the nearest town with a broken leg, also helping out his injured fellow passengers. Kirkvaag became the nation's first national superstar, but in 1959 he quit his job in NRK and ventured into the business of deep freezing groceries! He did however make occasional appearances on television, returning to NRK in 1969 for good. Throughout the years he was to host several popular television shows, including talk shows and game shows such as "20 spørsmål" (20 Questions). In 1973 he became leader of NRK's Entertainment division and held his post until 1986. In the 70s he became a presenter of children's programs, and together with the puppet Titten Tei and the teddy bear Teodor he earned the nickname "sjonkel Rolf", and was much loved by a generation of children. Kirkvaag retired from NRK on his 70th birthday in 1990, staying out of the limelight with his wife Sonja for the next 13 years. He died in Ullevål Hospital on the fourth Friday of 2003.