Legend has it that the name of the town of Širvintos comes from the river Širvinta. In ancient times a group of moose called širviai made their way through the dense forests near the river leaving a trail behind. Therefore, the river was named Širvinta and the name of the city came from it. The coat of arms of the city of Širvintos is an elk's head adorned with forked horns and the sword which symbolizes fighting with the enemies.
- The city was founded in 1475 when the sisters Katrina Agnieška and Bogdana Astikaitė, owners of the Šalkiškiai manor built the first wooden Catholic church in Širvintos.
- The current Širvintos St. the Church of Mykolas the Archangel was built in 1860. It is believed that it was designed by the architect Tomas Tišeckis. The church has features of classicism and baroque. It is included in the register of cultural values of the Republic of Lithuania. The first wooden Catholic church in this place was built in 1475 by the Kotryna Agnieška and Bagdonė Astikaičius. Laterin in 1674 Myikalojus Žaba built a new brick church. In that church there is an art monument of republican significance by Jonas Zenkevičius called “Saint Philomena”.
- One of the most Širvintos town glorifying historical events that took place in 1920 is the Battle of Širvintos – Giedraičiai during which the Lithuanians won the battle against the Polish army led by General Lucius Želigovskis. They stopped the advance into the depths of the country and preserved the Lithuanian independence. To commemorate those wars in 1927 a monument to fallen Lithuanian soldiers and shooters was built next to the church. Its author is the sculptor Robertas Antinis. During 1954 the monument was demolished and in 1991 reconstructed again. The author of the reconstructed monument is Robertas Antinis (son).
- The Second World War and the beginning of the Soviet occupation were difficult for the Širvintos town. The story marks the painful fate of the murdered Jews who made up the majority of the town's population. The region was also deeply shaken by the Soviet terror and mass deportations.
- During 1949 Širvintos became a county’s and later in 1950 district’s center. Later on, in 1951 it received city rights. During the XX century in the 1960s the city was decorated with a 40-hectare Širvintos river pond. A square has been formed by the pond. In 1981 the sculpture "Širvinta" by the sculptor Vilims Ketvirtis was built there - a graceful girl as if she was rising from the rivers band.
- On the 6th of October, 2016 by the initiative of the public and the efforts of the leaders of the municipality a monument to the luminary, writer, diplomat, and public figure Ignas Seinis (Jurkūnas) from the Širvintos region was unveiled in the central avenue of the city. The author of the monument "Regiu Lietuva" is sculptor Henrikas Orakauskas.
- In recent years, the name Širvintos has been getting louder and louder in Lithuania. Various projects are being rapidly implemented, streets are being reconstructed, children's playgrounds are being built, cozy recreation areas, squares are being installed, in Širvintos there is a modern beach, a football stadium, a trampoline park, a youth park, a central city square, playing fountains, a bridge over a pond, a children's play area called “Childhood stop", "Moose trail", modern sports and leisure center.
- The area of Širvintos 402 hectares.
- About 5,520 inhabitants live in Širvintos.
