Feb 16, 2021
Lithuania Independence Day 2021
This Doodle’s Key Themes
Today’s Doodle celebrates Lithuania’s Restoration of the State Day, one of the nation’s two historic independence days. On this day in 1918, 20 members of the Council of Lithuania dipped their feather pens to sign the Act of Independence of Lithuania, marking the foundation of the nation as a sovereign republic.
Located in the Lithuanian capital of Vilnius, the building where the Act of Independence was signed is known today as the House of Signatories. However, this house wasn’t always an official government building; in the early 20th century it was the home of wealthy merchant Kazimieras Štralis.
So, why did the council sign such an important document at a private residence? The answer: the biting cold of Lithuania’s winter. The council first met at the Lithuanian Scientific Society, but were frigid without firewood (an expensive commodity at the time). To warm up, the meeting was moved to Štralis’s home, where the council took advantage of his stocked fireplace and made history in the process!
Warm wishes, Lithuania—and Happy Independence Day!
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