site.btaObservances: March 17

MARCH 17

The world:

- National Day of Ireland: St Patrick's Day.

On this date in Bulgarian history:

1922: Parliament adopts Universal Bulgarian Spelling Act (repealed in 1923).

1935: Bulgarian state shipping on the Danube starts with the opening of a scheduled passenger and cargo service between Rousse and Vidin, operated by steam-powered tugs "Vit" and "Ossum", converted into passenger and cargo ships.

1943: Parliament Deputy Chairman Dimiter Peshev writes to Prime Minister Bogdan Filov to protest against planned deportation of Bulgarian Jews to Nazi death camps. Peshev's petition is backed by 43 MPs. In an effort involving Orthodox Church and general public, 48,000 Bulgarian Jews are saved from Holocaust. Under king's pressure, 41 MPs withdraw 
signatures. Peshev is ousted from deputy chairmanship on March 26. 

1951: The Graf Ignatievo Air Base is set up near Plovdiv (South Central Bulgaria).

1965: Constituent Congress of the Union of Architects in Bulgaria.

1997: Prime Minister Stefan Sofiyanski's caretaker cabinet signs a memorandum with the International Monetary Fund, committing itself to a currency board arrangement to overcome Bulgaria's financial collapse.

2006: Citizens for European Development of Bulgaria (GERB) is established as an association.