site.btaToday’s Observances: July 15

On this date in Bulgarian history:

1878: Bulgarian Territorial Troops established by Order No. 1 of Imperial Russian Commissioner, Prince Alexander Dondukov-Korsakov. Birthday of Bulgarian Armed Forces.

1966: Cooperation agreement signed with Soviet Union on nuclear power plant construction at Kozloduy (Northwestern Bulgaria) on River Danube. Ground-breaking ceremony October 14, 1969, plant inaugurated September 4, 1974.

1987: Bulgaria and Greece declare themselves in favour of denuclearization of Balkan Peninsula.

1992: National Plant Protection, Quarantine and Agrochemistry Service set up.

1994: Chamber of Chemical Industry established. 

1999: Vocational Education and Training Act adopted.  

2000: Israeli National Fund decides to remove memorial plaque in honour of King Boris III and Queen Ioanna, mounted in 1998 to commemorate rescue of Bulgarian Jews from deportation to Nazi death camps during World War II. 

2001: President Peter Stoyanov mandates former king Simeon Saxe-Coburg-Gotha, as leader of Simeon II National Movement, to form cabinet.

2004: Privatization sale of 67 per cent state-owned shareholdings in seven electricity distribution companies worth 693.2 million euro is approved. 

2005: Bulgaria's first twins from frozen embryo are born at St Sophia Maternity Hospital in Sofia.