Happy Birthday to Panama!

Lithuanians dancing at a festival in Vilnius, the capital of Lithuania and its largest city. *Photo from Wikipedia July 6 is Lithuania’s Statehood Day, commemorates the coronation in 1253 of Mindaugas as the first and only King of Lithuania. For centuries, the southeastern shores of the Baltic Sea were inhabited by various Baltic tribes. In the 1230s, the Lithuanian lands were united by Mindaugas, the King of Lithuania, and the first unified Lithuanian state, the Kingdom of Lithuania, was created on July 6, 1253. During the 14th century, the Grand Duchy of Lithuania was the largest country in Europe; present-day

Hainanese chicken rice, a dish adapted from early Chinese immigrants originally from Hainan province in southern China, is considered one of the national dishes of Singapore. *Photo from Wikipedia August 9 is National Day, celebrates the independence of Singapore from Malaysia in 1965. Evidence suggests that a significant trading settlement existed in Singapore during the 14th century. In the late 14th century, Singapura was under the rule of Parameswara (the last king of Singapura) until he was expelled by the Majapahit Empire or the Siamese (Thailand). It then came under the Malacca Sultanate and then the Johor Sultanate. Modern Singapore

Naadam ceremony in Ulaanbaatar. Nadaam is a traditional festival in Mongolia, which is held during the National Holiday from July 11 to 13. *Photo from Wikipedia July 11 is the day Russia’s Red Army captures Mongolia from the White Army and established the Mongolian People’s Republic. Genghis Khan was able to unite and conquer the Mongols, forging them into a fighting force which went on to create the largest contiguous empire in world history, the Mongol Empire. After the collapse of the Mongol-led Yuan dynasty in 1368, the Mongols returned to their earlier patterns of internal strife. Buddhism in Mongolia