Johan Christian Julius Sibelius was born on the 8th December 1865 in Hämeenlinna, a small garrison town in the Grand Duchy of Finland. The country was at that time part of the Russian Empire. His father was Christian Gustaf Sibelius, a 44-year-old medical doctor who was City Medical Officer and physician to the Hämeenlinna Sniper Battalion. The composer’s mother was Maria Charlotta Sibelius, née Borg, who was aged 24 at the time of his birth. https://fi.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jean_Sibelius#/media/File:Jean_Sibelius,_1913.jpg
The couple decided to call their son Janne in memory of Doctor Sibelius's brother, Johan "Janne" Sibelius, who had been the captain of a merchant ship. Later on it became Janne’s habit to modify his official first names, writing them in the order Johan Julius Christian. During his student years, he began to use visiting cards which he had found in the estate of his uncle, Johan Sibelius. In the fashion of the times, his uncle had written his name on the cards using a French form. Thus Johan Christian Julius "Janne" Sibelius became known to posterity as Jean Sibelius.
The position of Jean Sibelius as Finland's national composer is probably incontestable; his significance for the history of Finnish music is unparalleled. Sibelius is also Finland's most famous composer internationally, whose music has won admirers in all parts of the globe. Jean Sibelius has gained numerous monuments and also different types of?tributes?across the world.
