site.btaObservances: October 26-27

October 26
Bulgaria:

The Bulgarian Orthodox Church celebrates the Feast of St Demetrios the Myrrh-Streamer.

Professional holiday of Bulgarian builders.

The world:

- Austrian National Day: commemorates the State Treaty which restored national sovereignty in 1955.

On this date in Bulgarian history:

1890: First Bulgarian village cooperative set up in Mirkovo village, Sofia Municipality.

1954: State Academy of Music, established by royal decree in 1921, becomes independent higher education institution, named Bulgarian State Conservatory.

1957: Polish Reading Room in Sofia (established July 22, 1949) is renamed Polish Cultural and Information Centre. Called Polish Institute since 1994.

1989: Rally of EcoGlasnost activists is dispersed by militia in downtown Sofia. The rally, which collected signatures to halt two hydro-power projects, is one of the events leading to the start of the November 10, 1989 downfall of the socialist system in Bulgaria and the beginning of democratic changes.

October 27

The world:  

- National Day of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines: Independence Day (1979).

- National Day of Turkmenistan: Independence Day (1991).

- World Audiovisual Heritage Day (declared by UN and UNESCO)

- World Pasta Day.

On this date in Bulgarian history:

1889: Natural History Museum established in Sofia, reorganized as an independent scientific unit with the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences under the name of National Museum of Natural History in 1974.

1912: Turkish garrison in Thessaloniki surrenders during
First Balkan War (1912-1913) as Bulgarian 7th Rila Division and Greek troops enter town.

1934: Mount Vitosha is proclaimed national park.

1946: Elections to 6th Grand National Assembly are held. 

1999: Veliko Tarnovo joins European Association of Historic Towns and Regions as individual member.

2001: Blast on the Bulgarian oil tanker Khan Asparuh in the Russian port of Novorossiisk.