Lithuania marked the 100th birthday of the country’s former president, Valdas Adamkus, on 3 November 2026, BNS reported. The celebrations in Vilnius and Kaunas included an international conference, a gala concert, and a musical tribute. Just ahead of his centenary, Adamkus was discharged from hospital, ELTA reported. President Gitanas Nauseda praised Adamkus for his service and work to restore Lithuania’s freedom, Lietuvos Rytas reported. Adamkus said that he was grateful to fate for having lived through such a meaningful century, ELTA reported. He said that Lithuania’s accession to the EU and NATO was “the greatest joy of my life,” noting that NATO was a guarantee that Lithuania would “not be sacrificed to any new regime.” Adamkus was born in Kaunas, took part in the Lithuanian resistance against the Soviet occupation, but had to flee to Germany in 1944, LRT reported. He moved to the United States in 1949, became a US citizen, and made a professional career in the Environmental Protection Agency. Adamkus served as Lithuania’s president in 1998-2003 and again in 2004-2009.
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