Tarja Halonen was born on 24 December 1943 in the district of Kallio,She obtained a Master of Laws degree from the University of Helsinki in 1968.Halonen served as the Social Affairs Secretary and General Secretary of the National Union of Students (SYL) from 1969 to 1970.
In 1974 Prime Minister Kalevi Sorsa appointed Halonen as a parliamentary secretary.From 1975 until 1996,she was a member of Helsinki City Council.She served as a member of Parliament until her inauguration as President in 2000.In the Parliament her first formal post was as Chairman of the Social Committee from 1984 to 1987.
