In 1410 The Grand Duke Vytautas of Grand Lithuanian Principality (which was pretty large at that time from Baltic sea to the Black sea) with a help of Polish Army force defeated the Order of the Knights of the Cross which put the end to this Order and to it's so called crusade wars. Hurray!!! This battle was called "Žalgirio mūšis" (English: Battle of Grunwald) as it took place near Grunfeld, Tannenberg and Ludvigsdorf villages. It's being said that is was big fight as casualties were from 15000-50000 (you have to forgive that time historic channels for their accurateness in numbers, but in any case that's a lot of dead people).
You can imagine what psychological power the word "Žalgiris" has for any lithuanian. That's why we name anything we can by this word: basketball teams, football teams, stadiums, beer and vodka.
Not so long ago, like in 1933 two brave men from Lithuania Steponas Darius and Stasys Girenas decided to make a flight on a small plane named "Lituanica" from New York to Lithuania. They took of on the 15th of July in that year. They made it through Atlantics ocean (which was a first official post flight through Atlantics) but never reached native country.
These dates are not a national holiday there but one of those that makes us proud being lithuanians.
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