British occupation of the Faroe Islands on 9 April 1940, British forces launched "Operation Valentine" to occupy the Faroe Islands. On 11 April, Winston Churchill — then First Lord of the Admiralty — announced to the House of Commons that the Faroe Islands would be occupied: We are also at this moment occupying the Faroe Islands, which belong to Denmark and which are a strategic point of high importance, and whose people showed every disposition to receive us with warm regard. We shall shield the Faroe Islands from all the severities of war and establish ourselves there conveniently by sea and air until the moment comes
Culture of the Faroe Islands Eystanstevna is always held in Runavík, but the boat race is only held there every second year (even years), odd years the regatta is held in Fuglafjørður at the Varmakelda Festival (Varmakeldustevna). Swimming is a quite popular sport in the Faroe Islands. The Faroese freestyle swimmer Pál Joensen is the sportsperson of the Faroe Islands with the best international result for the country, a bronze medal at the 2012 FINA World Swimming Championships. In July 2011 he qualified for the finals in the men's 800 meters and 1500 meters freestyle at the 2011 World Aquatics Championships in Shanghai. He placed