site.btaObservances: December 16

The world:

- National Day of Bahrain (accession of Amir Sheikh Isa Bin Salman Al Khalifa, 1961);

- National Day of Kazakhstan. Independence Day (1991).

On this date in Bulgarian history:

1920: Bulgaria joins League of Nations.

1953: New building of Sts Cyril and Methodius National Library in Sofia is inaugurated.

1956: Diplomatic relations established with Luxembourg.

1961: Diplomatic relations with Iran restored at legation level (established November 5, 1897 at diplomatic agency level, severed September 17, 1941, upgraded to embassy level August 18, 1964).

1995: Bulgaria formally submits application for accession to European Union.