Today Sweden celebrates its 500th anniversary. It is 500 years since Gustav Vasa was elected King of Sweden on June 6 at the national assembly in Strängnäs. Then and there, Sweden became independent and has been so ever since.

That’s why our macronational neighbors celebrate Sweden’s National Day on June 6 yearly. This year there’s even more to celebrate. 2023 is an anniversary year in several other ways.

King Carl XVI Gustaf is celebrating 50 years on the Swedish throne, and several important institutions are filling up evenly. Among other things, the Royal Opera House, which is celebrating 250 years, Stockholm City Hall, which is turning 100 years old, and the Sami Parliament, which was inaugurated 30 years ago.

Facts

The tradition of celebrating this date began in 1916 at the Stockholm Olympic Stadium in honor of the election of King Gustav Vasa on 6 June 1523, as this was considered the foundation of modern Sweden.

The event signifies the end of the Danish-ruled Kalmar Union, so in a sense, it is a marking of Swedish independence, though the event occurred so long ago that it does not have a strong presence in the social consciousness.