Vincas Kudirka

Kudirka was born in Paežeriai, in the Augustów Governorate of Congress Poland (present-day Lithuania).

He began studying history and philosophy in Warsaw in 1881, but changed his major to medicine the following year.

During his studies, he was a member of the revolutionary organization Great Proletariat, for which he was arrested and expelled from the university in 1885.

In issue number 6 of Varpas, in September 1898, he published the text of Tautiška Giesmė, which would officially become in 1918, the Lithuanian National Anthem, set to music written by Kudirka himself.

On 5 July 2009, a statue of Vincas Kudirka was unveiled beside the Gediminas Avenue, the main street of the capital Vilnius.

The unveiling, by dignitaries, including the Lithuanian President Valdas Adamkus, coincided with festivities marking the 1000th anniversary of the first time Lithuania was mentioned in official chronicles.