Emil Väre
A Finnish wrestling master who clinched Olympic gold twelve years apart, dominating the lightweight division across two eras.
1885–1974 (age 89)·Finnish wrestler·Birthday: September 28·The Lost Generation
Biography
Emil Väre emerged from the Finnish wrestling tradition to become one of its most decorated Olympians. His style, a blend of technical precision and formidable strength, was honed in the gyms of Helsinki. The 1912 Stockholm Games announced his arrival on the world stage, where he powered through the Greco-Roman lightweight competition to claim his first gold medal. The First World War interrupted the Olympic cycle, but Väre's competitive fire burned undimmed. Remarkably, at the Antwerp Games in 1920, he repeated his feat, securing a second gold medal and cementing his status as a peerless champion. His career spanned a transformative period for Finnish athletics, and his success helped solidify the nation's reputation as a powerhouse in wrestling. Väre's legacy is one of enduring excellence, a testament to skill that remained sharp across a decade of global upheaval.
The Lost Generation
1883–1900
Came of age during World War I. Disillusioned by the carnage, they rejected the certainties of the Victorian era and built modernism from the wreckage — in art, literature, and politics.
Emil was born in 1885, placing them squarely in The Lost Generation. The events that shaped this generation — world wars, depression, and rapid industrialization — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Emil Was Born
The biggest hits of 1885
Emil's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1885Born
Karl Benz builds the first gasoline-powered automobile
President: Grover Cleveland
1890Started school
Wounded Knee massacre marks the end of the Indian Wars
President: Benjamin Harrison
1898Became a teenager
Spanish-American War; US emerges as a world power
President: William McKinley
1901Could drive
Queen Victoria dies, ending the Victorian era
President: Theodore Roosevelt
1903Could vote
Wright brothers achieve first powered flight
President: Theodore Roosevelt
1906Turned 21
San Francisco earthquake devastates the city
President: Theodore Roosevelt
1915Turned 30
The Lusitania is sunk by a German U-boat
President: Woodrow Wilson
1925Turned 40
The Scopes Trial debates evolution in schools
Home: $4,366President: Calvin Coolidge"Sweet Georgia Brown" — Ben Bernie
1935Turned 50
Social Security Act signed into law
Gas: $0.19/galHome: $3,450President: Franklin D. Roosevelt"Cheek to Cheek" — Fred AstaireBest Picture: Mutiny on the Bounty
1945Turned 60
WWII ends; atomic bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki
Gas: $0.21/galHome: $4,600Min wage: $0.40/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Sentimental Journey" — Les Brown & Doris DayBest Picture: The Lost Weekend
1955Turned 70
Rosa Parks refuses to give up her bus seat
Gas: $0.29/galHome: $9,550Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Rock Around the Clock" — Bill Haley & His CometsBest Picture: Marty
1965Turned 80
US sends combat troops to Vietnam
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $13,600Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction" — The Rolling StonesBest Picture: The Sound of Music
1974Died at 89
Nixon resigns the presidency
Gas: $0.53/galHome: $22,600Min wage: $2.00/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"The Way We Were" — Barbra StreisandBest Picture: The Godfather Part II
Key Achievements
- Won the Olympic gold medal in Greco-Roman wrestling (lightweight) at the 1912 Summer Olympics in Stockholm.
- Secured a second Olympic gold medal in the same event at the 1920 Summer Olympics in Antwerp.
- Was a central figure in Finland's dominant wrestling team during the early 20th century.
Did You Know?
He won his two Olympic gold medals eight years apart due to the cancellation of the 1916 Games during World War I.
Väre was known for his exceptional physical conditioning and technical prowess.
He is remembered as one of the 'Flying Finns' in wrestling, a group of exceptionally successful Finnish athletes of the era.
“The mat does not lie; it reveals every weakness.”
