Today’s Doodle honours one of Lithuania’s two independence days, known as Restoration of the State Day in the local community. The Act of Independence of Lithuania was signed on this day in 1918, declaring the country’s status as an independent republic.
So, why does the country commemorate so many independence days? Lithuania was seized in 1940, signalling the beginning of a 50-year occupation. In 1989, an estimated two million people joined hands to form a 600-kilometer human chain stretching from Vilnius, Lithuania, to Tallinn, Estonia, in an effort to liberate Lithuania and the other Baltic states of Latvia and Estonia.
This display of unity inspired individuals throughout the region and was crucial in Lithuania’s fight for independence, which was officially acknowledged on March 11, 1990, on what is now known as Restoration of Independence Day, the country’s sister holiday.
Lithuania, I wish you a happy Independence Day!
