 Jón Sveinsson, a popular author of children's books, was born in Akureyri and died in 1944.In the early 21st century, fishing industries have become more important in Akureyri as two of the major fishing companies of Iceland have become a more important source of revenue and are expected to grow further in coming years.The University of Akureyri was founded in 1987 and is growing rapidly.