site.btaToday's Observances: March 11

THE ORTHODOX CHURCH celebrates the feast of St Sophronius, Patriarch of Jerusalem, and St Sophronius, Bishop of Vratsa. Sophronius of Vratsa (1739 - 1813) was a Bulgarian cleric and one of the leading figures of the early Bulgarian National Revival. Sophronius of Vratsa was canonized as a saint by the Bulgarian Orthodox Church on December 31, 1964. 

The world:

- European Remembrance Day for Victims of Terrorism.

Bulgaria:

- Day of the Rocket and Artillery Troops. The Bulgarian artillery participates in the March 11, 1913 attack and March 13 capture of the Edirne fortress during the First Balkan War (1912-1913). 

On this date in Bulgarian history:

1922: A bomb blast takes place at the US Legation in downtown Sofia. No one is injured. The perpetrator remains unknown.

1973: A Psychology Laboratory is established at the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences (BAS), headed by Prof. Zdrava Ivanova. Named BAS Institute for Population and Human Studies as of July 1, 2012.

1999: Bulgaria joins the European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN).

2003: Bulgaria closes its embassy in Iraq due to military actions in the country. The embassy reopens on March 19, 2006.