site.btaObservances: December 30

On this date in Bulgarian history:

1903: Prince Ferdinand I decrees establishment of Pleven's Military Hospital (incorporated into the Sofia-based Military Medical Academy in 2001).

1907: Second Scientific Conference of Bulgarian Typists adopts "Common Bulgarian Character Map for Typewriters", setting earliest standard for Bulgarian Cyrillic typewriter keyboard layout.

1918: Bulgaria establishes diplomatic relations with Poland at legation level (severed March 4, 1941, restored August 24, 1945, upgraded to embassy status June 1, 1948).

1963: Petrochemical Works in Burgas (on the Black Sea) go into operation. Privatized by Russian company Lukoil, October 12, 1999, and registered as Lukoil Neftochim Burgas AD.

1967: Five-day working week is introduced in Bulgaria by decree of National Assembly Presidium. The change is phased in by administrative district, starting January 1, 1970 and ending in 1974.

1973: Oil and Gas State Company is set up. Renamed Gas Supply in 1975 and Bulgargaz in early 1990, transformed into single-shareholder joint-stock company by Council of Ministers order, May 12, 1993.

1992: Cabinet headed by Prime Minister Lyuben Berov is formed (in office until October 17, 1994).