August 23, 1989
Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania — the three nations living by the Baltic Sea — surprised the world by taking hold of each other’s hands and jointly demanding the re-establishment of the independence of the Baltic States, which was bargained away by the Germans & Russians in the Molotov-Ribbentrop pact in the early days of World War II. More than a million people joined hands to create a 400 mile long human chain from the foot of Toompea in Tallinn to the foot of the Gediminas Tower in Vilnius, crossing Riga and the River Daugava on its way, creating a synergy in the drive for freedom that united the three countries.
