July 6th is celebrated in Lithuania as Statehood Day, commemorating the coronation of Mindaugas as the first and only King of Lithuania in 1253. Mindaugas unified the Lithuanian state and was a skilled political leader, pursuing a flexible policy that thwarted the Teutonic Knights' plans. He also took the significant step of being baptized in 1251, which integrated Lithuania more with European Christian culture. However, Mindaugas and his sons were later killed in 1263, changing the fate of the Lithuanian state. Statehood Day was declared a national holiday in 1990 following Lithuania's independence, to honor Lithuania's long tradition of sovereignty and Mindaugas' role