site.btaObservances: February 1-2

February 1

The world:

Orthodox Church marks Feast Day of Holy Martyr Tryphon, patron saint of vine growers.

On this date in Bulgarian history:

1887: Bulgaria's first permanent weather station opens in Sofia.

1898: Oskar Iskander is appointed Director of the Bulgarian Telegraph Agency, the present-day Bulgarian News Agency (BTA), five days after it is established (in office until June 23, 1898).

1945: Three regents, 22 ministers of five governments (in office between February 11, 1940 and September 8, 1944), 8 royal advisers, 67 MPs of 25th Ordinary National Assembly and 47 senior military officers are executed at Sofia's Central Cemetery after being sentenced to death earlier that day by 'People's Court' Panels One and Two.

1991: Prices of all goods and services except electricity, heat, LPG and coal are liberalized.

1995: Bulgaria's EU Association Agreement, signed in Brussels on March 8, 1993, enters into force.

February 2

The world:

- World Wetlands Day.

On this date in Bulgarian history:

1854: Bulgarian Board of Trustees is set up in Odesa as political and charitable organization of Bulgarian immigrants supporting struggle of Bulgarian people against Ottoman rule.

1893: Bulgarian Engineering and Architectural Society is set up in Sofia (transformed into Bulgarian Engineers and Architects Association in 1937 and Federation of Bulgarian Science and Technology Associations in 1992).

1896: Diplomatic relations with Russia restored after being severed on November 5, 1886.

1896: Crown Prince Boris of Tarnovo (future King Boris III) is converted from Catholicism to Eastern Orthodox Christianity.

1992: Diplomatic relations established with Republic of South Africa.