The following lists events that happened during 2008 in Denmark.
Incumbents Monarch – Margrethe II Prime minister – Anders Fogh Rasmussen
Events
February 16 February – The Royal Playhouse on Copenhagen's waterfront is inaugurated with the play Hamlet, featuring Nicolas Bro in the title role.
May 1 May – Han Kjøbenhavn is founded. 24 May – Prince Joachim marries Marie Cavallier in Møgeltønder.
June 2 June – A suicide bomber strikes outside the Danish embassy in the Pakistani capital Islamabad with at least eight people dead. 4 June – al-Qaeda claims responsibility for the 2008 Danish embassy bombing stating it was revenge for the Jyllands-Posten Muhammad cartoons controversy.
October Realfiction company is founded in Copenhagen.
Date unknown The 25 øre coin is demonetised as the lowest-denomination coin in the country. It has been in circulation since 1874, when it was introduced on the decimalisation of the krone.
The arts
Architecture 27 June – Lundgaard & Tranberg's Royal Playhouse in Copenhagen wins a 2008 RIBA European Award at the Royal Institute of British Architects' annual awards ceremony in London. 23 October – Schmidt hammer lassen's Performers House in Silkeborg wins the Grand Prix at the 5th LEAF Awards in London.
Film September – Per Fly's film Manslaughter wins the 2005 Nordic Council Film Prize.
Literature
Media 8 February – Erik Refner from Berlingske Tidende wins 1st prize in the Sports Features Stories category in the 51st World Press Photo Contest for a photo series of exhausted runners in Copenhagen Marathon.
Music 19 November – MGP Nordic 2008 is held in Århus.
Sport 8–24 August – Denmark participates at the Summer Olympics in Beijing, China: two gold medals, two silver medals, two bronze medals.
Badminton 20 January Tine Baun wins gold in women's single at the 2008 Malaysia Super Series. 9 March – Tine Rasmussen wins gold in women's singles at the All England Open badminton tournament. 16–20 April – The 21st European Badminton Championships are arranged in Herning, Denmark. With three gold medals, three silver medals and two bronze medals, Denmark finishes as the best nation. 26 October Peter Gade wins gold in men's single at the 2008 Denmark Super Series. 2 November Peter Gade wins gold in men's single at the 2008 French Super Series.
Cycling 5 February Franco Marvulli (SUI) and Bruno Risi (SUI) win the Six Days of Copenhagen six-day track cycling race.
Football 1 May – Brøndby IF wins the 2007–08 Danish Cup by defeating Esbjerg fB 3–2 in the final. 6 September – Denmark draws 0–0 in an away game against Hungary in Group 1 of the 2010 FIFA World Cup qualification. 10 September – Denmark defeats Portugal 3–2 in Lisbon in the second round of World Cup qualification. 11 October – Denmark defeats Malta 3–0 at Parken Stadium, Copenhagen, in the third round of qualification.
Handball 27 January – Denmark wins the 2008 European Men's Handball Championship, arranged in Norway, after defeating Croatia in the final.
Motorsports 19 July – Denmark wins the 2008 Speedway World Cup final in Vojens, Denmark. 18 October – Nicki Pedersen becomes world champion in speedway by winning the 2008 Speedway Grand Prix series.
Other 13–24 March Lotte Friis wins a bronze medal in 1,500 m freestyle at the 2008 European Aquatics Championships. 8 June – Matti Breschel wins the Philadelphia International Championship in cycle racing. 15 June – Tom Kristensen wins Le Mans for the 8th time when he wins the 2008 24 Hours of Le Mans with Audi Sport North America. 29 September – Matti Breschel wins bronze in men's road race at the 2008 UCI Road World Championships in Italy. 2 November – Søren Kjeldsen wins the 21st and final Volvo Masters at Valderrama Golf Club in Andalucia at eight under par.
Births 28 March Jacob Ambæk, footballer 29 June – Prince Aristidis-Stavros of Greece and Denmark, youngest child of Pavlos, Crown Prince of Greece, and Marie-Chantal, Crown Princess of Greece
Deaths 16 January – Otto Steen Due, classical philologist (born 1939) 10 February – Inga Nielsen, opera singer (born 1946) 26 February – Bodil Udsen, actress (born 1925) 28 February – Ove Guldberg, politician (born 1918) 27 March – Hans Chr. Ægidius, actor, writer and filmmaker (born 1933) 29 March – Mette Koefoed Bjørnsen, author, conciliator and economist (died 1920) 29 April – Claus Nissen, actor (born 1938) 11 May – Ole Fritsen, footballer (born 1941) 21 May – Ernst Meyer, actor (born 1932) 1 July – Mogens Glistrup, politician (born 1926) 5 July – Thomas Winding, author, radiohost and television producer 10 July – Jakob Ejersbo, journalist and author (born 1968) 16 August – Otto Leisner, television presenter (born 1917) 11 September – Preben Møller Hansen, writer, cook, politician, and trade unionist (born 1929) 20 September – Kamilla Bech Holten, television presenter and actress (born 1972) 1 November – Eric Danielsen, news anchor (born 1920) 16 November – Hilmer Hassig, musician (born 1960) 28 November – Jørn Utzon, architect (born 1918)
See also 2008 in Danish television
References