site.btaObservances: July 4-5

July 4

The world:

- US Independence Day (1776).

On this date in Bulgarian history:

1892: Bulgaria's first hydroelectric power plant, Boyana, goes under construction.

1913: Vassil Radoslavov forms Liberal Party government (in office until December 20, 1913).

1964: First International Ballet Competition in Varna (on the Black Sea) opens.

1971: Metropolitan Maxim of Lovech is elected Bulgarian Patriarch and Metropolitan of Sofia (until his death on November 6, 2012).

July 5

The world:

- National Day of Cabo Verde: Independence Day (1975);

- National Day of Venezuela: Independence Day (1811).

Bulgaria:

- Interior Ministry Day.

On this date in Bulgarian history:

1879: First government formed after five centuries of Ottoman rule; headed by Prime Minister Todor Burmov (in office until November 24, 1879).

1920: Free University of Political and Economic Sciences is founded in Sofia as first stand-alone higher school of economics.

1980: Diplomatic relations are established with Cape Verde (today's Cabo Verde).

1999: Law on redenomination of the Bulgarian lev enters into force, with 1,000 old leva exchanged for 1 new lev.

2000: European Parliament decides Bulgaria should be removed from EU visa blacklist.