Slovakia marks the 146th anniversary of the birth of Milan Rastislav Štefánik, one of the country's most important historical figures, on Tuesday. Commemorations began with a ceremony at his birthplace in Košariská under the patronage of the Defence Ministry, followed by a guided tour of the museum exhibition.
The Slovak National Museum says the programme will continue over the weekend with Kaleidoscope of Štefánik's Life, featuring theatrical performances and a lecture on his childhood and student years by historian and relative Martin Broniš. A commemorative church service will also be held on Sunday.
Born in 1880, Štefánik was an astronomer, diplomat and French army general who played a key role in the founding of Czechoslovakia in 1918 alongside Tomáš Garrigue Masaryk and Edvard Beneš. He died in a plane crash near Bratislava in 1919 at the age of 39.
Source: TASR
