2020-07-06 Mon

Today on 6Th July in the year 1253 Mindaugas crowned as the king of Lithuania. He was the first known Grand Duke of Lithuania and the only Christian King of Lithuania. This day is now celebrated as Statehood Day; it is an official holiday in modern Lithuania.

He is, without a doubt, one of the brightest and most respected Lithuanians ever. His ten-year reign was marked by various state-building accomplishments, Mindaugas's conflicts with relatives and other dukes continued, and Samogitia (Western Lithuania) strongly resisted the alliance's rule. His gains in the southeast were challenged by the Tatars.

The status of a kingdom was lost after Mindaugas' assassination in 1263 as the country remained pagan in the following centuries. Depicted here is a Litas Commemorative coin dedicated to King Mindaugas, with the inscription Mindaugas King of Lithuania.

Image Source: Wikipedia.org