site.btaObservances: February 7-8

February 7

The world:

National Day of Grenada: Independence Day (1974).

On this date in Bulgarian history:

1878: Russian army liberates Pomorie (on the Black Sea) from Ottoman rule during Russo-Turkish War (1877-78).

1921: National Assembly passes Labour Land Ownership Act, limiting arable land owned by single family to 30 hectares.

1940: BBC airs first Bulgarian-language radio broadcast. The broadcasts continue through the years of the Cold War when BBC provides coverage of events around the world and in Bulgaria. On December 23, 2005, the last hour-long show in Bulgarian language was aired.

1990: The Union of Thracian Cultural and Educational Societies is reinstated at a national conference. 

2000: In Tripoli, Libyan People's Court charges five Bulgarian nurses and one Palestinian doctor with deliberately causing HIV/AIDS epidemic and failing to observe traditions of Libyan society. Seven years later, thanks to the efforts of international organizations, the EU and the USA, the Bulgarian nurses and the doctor return to Bulgaria.

2008: The Bulgarian political party GERB joins the European People's Party as a member-party.

February 8

On this date in Bulgarian history:

1913: Battle of Bulair begins between Bulgarian and Ottoman troops during First Balkan War (1912-1913).

1950: Diplomatic relations are established with Vietnam.

1980: Petar Popangelov becomes Bulgaria's first winner of Alpine Ski World Cup event (a slalom in Lenggries, Germany).

1989: Podkrepa Independent Trade Union is established (renamed Podkrepa Confederation of Labour on March 18, 1990).

1996: Mass privatization starts officially.

2015: Mountaineers Doychin Boyanov, Nikolai Petkov and Alexander Shopov are the first to scale Great Needle Peak (1,679.48 m) on Livingston Island, Antarctica's second-highest peak.