site.btaToday's Observances: October 14-15

October 14

Bulgaria:

 - The Orthodox Church marks the feast day of St Parascheva (Petka) of Epivates-Tarnovo.

On this date in Bulgarian history:

1870: The Bulgarian Revolutionary Central Committee publishes its first programme in the "Svoboda" ("Liberty") newspaper, stating its main purpose is to free Bulgaria from Ottoman rule by peaceful means and armed struggle. The programme also sets forth an idea expressed by Lyuben Karavelov (1834-1879) to establish a Danubian federation in which all member states will have equal rights.

1969: Ground-breaking for the construction of the Kozloduy Nuclear Power Plant.

1971: The University of Veliko Tarnovo is unveiled.

2005: National Assembly passes a new Code of Penal Procedure.

2014: Sofia is named European Capital of Sports 2018.

October 15

The world:

- White Cane Safety Day (Day of the Blind);

- Global Handwashing Day.

On this date in Bulgarian history:

1931: Bulgaria's central bank abandons gold standard and imposes control on forex trading.

1945: Higher Technical School in Sofia (established October 4, 1942) renamed State Polytechnic by Regents' Decree gazetted on October 24, 1945 (reorganized as Institute of Mechanical and Electrical Engineering on June 10, 1953, renamed V.I. Lenin Higher Institute of Mechanical and Electrical Engineering on August 10, 1965, renamed Technical University of Sofia on July 21, 1995).

1991: Diplomatic relations established with Bahrain.

1998: Bulgarian crime journalist Anna Zarkova of Trud daily receives Knight International Press Fellowship Award, set up to honour journalists outside US for outstanding work under dangerous or difficult circumstances, after sustaining sulphuric acid attack on May 11, 1998, for exposing organized crime.