Editing Steponas Darius (section)

== Biography ==
Born in [[:lt:Dariaus kaimas|Rubiškės]], in the [[Kovno Governorate]] of the [[Russian Empire]], Darius immigrated to the US with his family in 1907. In 1917 he joined the [[United States Army]], after the United States entered [[World War I]], and changed his name to Darius. He served as a telephone operator in the 149th Field Artillery Regiment, fought in France, was wounded and received the [[Purple Heart]] medal. In 1920, he returned to Lithuania and joined the [[Lithuanian Army]], graduating from [[War School of Kaunas]] in 1921. He participated in the [[Klaipėda Revolt]] of 1923. While living in Lithuania he completed pilot training. In 1927 he returned to the United States and started working in civil aviation. He initially formed South Bend Airways in partnership with Carl G. Jordan of [[South Bend, Indiana]]. Their fleet consisted of a [[Pheasant H-10]] and an [[Alexander Aircraft Company#Aircraft|Eaglerock Long Wing]], both powered by OX-5 engines of World War I vintage. He lived for a while in the Jordan household prior to moving to Chicago.

While living in Lithuania he actively promoted various sports. He initiated the building of the first stadium in [[Kaunas]]; it was later named after him – the [[S. Darius and S. Girėnas Stadium]]. He played [[basketball]], [[baseball]], [[ice hockey]], and practiced [[boxing]] and [[sport of athletics|athletics]], while also being an international [[association football|footballer]], having played for [[Lithuania national football team]] in its first competitive game against [[Estonian national football team|Estonia]] on June 23, 1923. He was also part of Lithuania's squad for the [[1924 Summer Olympics]], but he did not play in any matches.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.olympedia.org/athletes/700261 |title=Steponas Darius |work=Olympedia |access-date=25 August 2021}}</ref> Since he was the first to publish booklets about basketball and baseball, he is considered to have brought those sports to Lithuania. He was also the first chairman of Lithuanian Physical Education Union, and a founder of ''Sporto Žurnalas'' (''Sports Magazine'').

=== Death ===
{{Further|Lituanica}}

On July 15, 1933, along with [[Stasys Girėnas]], he attempted a nonstop flight from [[New York City]], United States to [[Kaunas]], Lithuania – a total of {{convert|7186|km}}, in a [[Bellanca CH-300]] Pacemaker airplane named ''[[Lituanica]]''. After successfully crossing the [[Atlantic Ocean]] in 37 hours and 11 minutes, they crashed on July 17, at 0:36 am (Berlin Time), by the village of Kuhdamm, near [[Soldin]], Germany (now Pszczelnik, near the [[Myślibórz]] area, [[Poland]]), most probably because of difficult weather conditions combined with engine problems{{citation needed|date=May 2018}}. Both aviators were killed in the crash. They had covered a distance of {{convert|6411|km|abbr=on}} without landing, and were only {{convert|650|km|abbr=on}} short of their destination.