site.btaObservances: January 31-February 1

January 31

The world:

National Day of Nauru: Independence Day (1968).

On this date in Bulgarian history:

1878:  Ceasefire agreement is signed in Edirne to end combat action during Russo-Turkish War (1877-1878), which leads to Bulgaria's liberation from Ottoman rule.

1947: Sixth Grand National Assembly passes law on Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, founded in 1869 as Bulgarian Literary Society.

1952: State Film Archive of Cinematographic History is established, which joins International Federation of Film Archives as regular member.

1972: Diplomatic relations established with Bangladesh.

1991: Armed Forces' Prosecution Office institutes proceedings in connection with what is known as "regeneration process" (forcible assimilation of ethnic Turks in the 1980s). Charges are brought against former communist leader Todor Zhivkov and other figures of his regime. 

2002: The Hague Convention on Protection of Children and Cooperation in Respect of Intercountry Adoption is ratified.

2013: Parliament adopts the Crude Oil and Petroleum Products Stocks Act, under which the state can store oil and petroleum products as emergency reserves in another EU Member State.

February 1

The world:

Orthodox Church marks Feast Day of Holy Martyr Tryphon, patron saint of vine growers.

On this date in Bulgarian history:

1887: Bulgaria's first permanent weather station opens in Sofia.

1898: Oskar Iskender is appointed Director of the Bulgarian Telegraph Agency, the present-day Bulgarian News Agency (BTA), five days after it is established (in office until June 23, 1898).

1945: Three regents, 22 ministers of five governments (in office between February 11, 1940 and September 8, 1944), 8 royal advisers, 67 MPs of 25th Ordinary National Assembly and 47 senior military officers are executed at Sofia's Central Cemetery after being sentenced to death earlier that day by 'People's Court' Panels One and Two.

1991: Prices of all goods and services except electricity, heat, LPG and coal are liberalized.

1995: Bulgaria's EU Association Agreement, signed in Brussels on March 8, 1993, enters into force.

2023: Launch of construction works for Gas Interconnection Bulgaria - Serbia, attended by Bulgarian President Rumen Radev and Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic.