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| 1978, Nov. 28 |
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| The Storting adopted a proposal to reduce the voting age from 20 to 18. It also passed a liberal abortion law giving women the right to choose, though the Christian People's Party insisted on limiting abortion to special circumstances. | 1 |
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| 1979, May 31 |
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| The Storting approved the complete abolition of the death penalty. | 2 |
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| 1981 |
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| Gro Harlem Brundtland became the first female prime minister of Norway, heading a minority government. | 3 |
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| 1981–86 |
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| Conservative Party in power. In general elections, parties of the Center-Right obtained an overall majority in the Storting. Kaare Willoch formed a minority Conservative government and became the first Conservative Party prime minister since 1928. In June 1983, Willoch was able to form a new three-party, nonsocialist coalition, but his government resigned after he failed to obtain parliamentary approval of his austerity economic measures in April 1986. | 4 |
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| 1986–93 |
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| Labor Party in power. Gro Harlem Brundtland formed a new cabinet in which 8 of the 18 members were women. When Jan P. Syse's Center-Right coalition collapsed over the EC issue after a year in power, Brundtland returned to office, heading a minority government for the third time. The Norwegians continued to oppose EC membership. | 5 |
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| 1991, Jan. 17 |
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| Death of King Olav V. His son Harald was sworn in as King Harald V (Jan. 21). | 6 |
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| April 20 |
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| Kaci Kullmann Five was elected leader of the Conservatives; by then women held positions as leaders of three out of the four major parties, and they represented one-third of the Storting and one-half of the cabinet members. | 7 |
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