site.btaToday's Observances: Feb. 8

On this date in Bulgarian history:

1913 The Battle of Bulair begins between Bulgarian and Turkish troops during the First Balkan War (1912-1913).

1945 A Russian military cemetery is unveiled in Vidin.

1950 Diplomatic relations are established with Vietnam.

1980 Petar Popangelov becomes the first Bulgarian to win an Alpine Ski World Cup event, a slalomin Lenggries, Germany.

1989 The Podkrepa Independent Trade Union is set up. To be renamed Podkrepa Confederation of Labour on March 18, 1990.

1996 Mass privatization starts officially in Bulgaria.

2015 Bulgarian 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. RY/DT