Lithuania is a small but mighty nation! We are so proud of our people who work hard and smart to break world records, win medals, and reveal new scientific discoveries.
In this article, I name just a few of them. Also, one of my most recent articles has named a few more names of famous people of Lithuanian origin.
Sports
Lithuanians are probably best known for their achievements in basketball. However, we have much more notable athletes. Let’s learn a few names.
Rūta Meilutytė
In Lithuania, we call Rūta a golden fish. She is an Olympic champion and world record holder in the 50m and 100m breaststroke in short and long courses.
When she was 15, Meilutytė shattered eleven Lithuanian women's swimming records. At the European Youth Summer Olympic Festival in 2011, she grabbed gold in the 100m breaststroke, silver in the 50m freestyle, and bronze in the 100m freestyle.
Her crowning moment came at the 2012 London Olympics, where she clinched gold in the 100m breaststroke at just 15, becoming Lithuania's youngest Olympic gold medalist.
In 2013, she set new world records in the 50m and 100m breaststroke at the World Aquatics Championships in Barcelona, and by 17, she was the first swimmer to win all major junior and senior international titles.
The latest her achievements:
Gold at the World Swimming Championships in Japan (in the 50 and 100 meters breaststroke events);
Gold at the first stage of the World Swimming Cup in Berlin;
Gold at the second stage of the World Swimming Cup in Athens;
World record broken in the 50-meter breaststroke – 29.16 seconds.
Laura Asadauskaitė
Laura Asadauskaitė-Zadneprovskienė, born in 1984 in Vilnius, shines as a Lithuanian modern pentathlete. Her crowning achievement came when she won the London 2012 Summer Olympics gold medal and achieved an Olympic record score.
Not stopping there, Asadauskaitė has shown her craftsmanship in three additional Olympics: Beijing in 2008, Rio de Janeiro in 2016, and the Tokyo Olympics in 2021, where she secured a silver medal. Her impressive career also includes titles as both European and World Champion in pentathlon.
Žydrūnas Savickas
In Lithuania, we’ve got one of the planet’s mightiest strongmen. This guy is a legend—he’s clinched the Arnold Strongman Classic title six times in a row! Savickas isn’t just about winning; he’s smashed a bunch of Lithuanian and global records in the strength world.
Arvydas Sabonis
Let’s not forget probably the most famous Lithuanian basketball player, Arvydas Sabonis. He is a basketball legend who in 1999 was voted by NBA.com visitors as the NBA’s most impactful foreign player and, in 2010, was honored with an induction into FIBA’s Hall of Fame. He’s also made it into Lithuania’s Book of Records as the tallest man, standing at an impressive 223.6 cm.
Art and Culture
We also have prominent names in the arts. This time, I want you to learn about these two names of contemporary art representatives – Jurgis Mačiūnas and Jonas Mekas.
Jurgis Mačiūnas (George Maciunas, 1931–1978)
Source: Picryl
Jurgis Mačiūnas, a co-founder of the famous “Fluxus “movement, was a Lithuanian-born artist who lived and worked in New York. If you are looking for weekend activities in Vilnius, you should visit the Contemporary Art Centre (Šiuolaikinio meno centras), where there is a permanent exposition of the Fluxus Cabinet–it’s a must-see for anyone diving into the world of contemporary art.
Jonas Mekas (1922–2019)
New York also hosted another Lithuanian talent, filmmaker Jonas Mekas, who found himself in the same circles as George Maciunas, Andy Warhol, Yoko Ono, John Lennon, and Salvador Dali. Known as the godfather of American avant-garde cinema, Mekas has left an indelible mark on the film industry. In 1964, he kick-started “The Filmmakers’ Cinémathèque,” which evolved into the “Anthology Film Archive” – now one of the globe’s most extensive collections of avant-garde films.
Science
Lithuania has prominent scientists in the laser industry, neuroscience, genetics, nuclear research, and other fields. Mostly, they are natural sciences subjects. Today, I have the name of the great woman affirming herself in a domain that for a long time has been run mostly by men.
Urtė Neniškytė
Urte Neniškytė is a Lithuanian neuroscientist known for her significant contributions to global neuroscience knowledge. She has been recognized for her work on brain research. Mostly the ones that aim to shed light on complex brain processes and diseases such as Alzheimer’s and schizophrenia.
In 2017, Neniškytė was awarded the L’Oréal-UNESCO “For Women in Science” scholarship for her scientific achievements. She is the first Lithuanian scientist to have received this award. Neniškytė is also one of the 15 laureates who received the 2019 L’Oréal-UNESCO “For Women in Science” International Rising Talents award.
She is considered one of the promising young scientists in her field, contributing to Lithuania’s reputation in the global scientific community.
What topic should be next? If you have ideas about what would be interesting for you to learn, drop me a comment below! I will do my best to get it to you.
Karolina, OLS Community Manager – Lithuanian