:: First Bulgarian Kingdom::
681 AD – The Bulgarian state was established – one of the first ever European states. The first Bulgarian capital was Pliska. Its tsars (khans) Asparoukh, Krum the Dreadful (803 – 814 AD), and Omurtag (852 – 831 AD) turned it into a mighty power in south-eastern Europe. 855 AD – The Saint brothers Cyril and Methodius made the Slavonic alphabet. 865 AD – Prince St. Boris (852-907 AD) did away with paganism and introduced East-Orthodox Christianity as the official religion in Bulgaria. In 865 AD he moved the capital from Pliska to Veliki Preslav (Great Preslav). The Byzantine Empire recognised him as tzar of the Bulgarians.

893 – 927 AD – Under the reign of tzar Simeon (the Great), son of tsar Boris I, the Bulgarian kingdom became the biggest in territory and the most powerful in Europe. The “golden age” of Bulgarian culture set in. 1018 AD – Emperor Basil II conquered Bulgaria and turned it into a province of the Byzantine empire.

:: Second Bulgarian Kingdom::
1185-1396: The era of the Second Bulgarian kingdom, which came to being after a successful uprising by the Bulgarian aristocracy. The reign started of the Assen dynasty. They proclaimed the town of Turnovo as capital. Ivan-Assen II (1218 – 1241) was the best-known and powerful ruler of the period of the Second Bulgarian kingdom.

1396: Bulgaria fell entirely under Ottoman domination. In the course of long 5 centuries Bulgaria was a province of the Ottoman Empire. In the process of conquering the aristocracy was destroyed, the Bulgarian administration was done away with, the Bulgarian Church was deprived of autocephality and partriarchical rang and was placed under the Constantinople patriarchy.

1652: The beginning of the Bulgarian National Revival. Monk Paissii of the Hilendar monastery (on Mount Athos) wrote the “Slav-Bulgarian History” book.

1870: Start of the organised national-liberation movement.

1876: The April uprising of the enslaved Bulgarian people burst out — it was smothered in a sea of blood but caused a big international response of indignation at the Turkish tyranny.

1877-1878: The Russian-Turkish Liberation war in which Bulgaria gave many lives for its freedom.

:: Third Bulgarian Kingdom::
The Third Bulgarian State had its start with the San-Stefano peace agreement signed on March 3, 1878. As a result of that agreement Bulgaria was restored to the territory of the three historical and ethnic Bulgarian regions – namely Moesia, Thrace and Macedonia. Bulgaria became the biggest Balkan country.

13 July 1878 – The treaty of Berlin was signed as a result of which the newly-liberated Bulgaria was divided into the Principality of Bulgaria and Eastern Rumelia and a large portion of the Bulgarian lands was cut away to remain under Ottoman domination.

16 April 1879 – The Turnovo Constitution was passed solemnly by the First Grand National Assembly.
26 June 1879 – Alexander Battenberg became prince of Bulgaria, and Sofia – the capital of the new Bulgarian state.
6 September 1885 – Unification of the Principality of Bulgaria and Eastern Rumelia (the real-term liberation of Bulgaria).
22 September 1908 - King Ferdinand I proclaimed Bulgaria’s full independence from Turkish rule.

:: New Bulgarian History ::
After restoring the national state-hood in 1878 Bulgaria was a constitutional monarchy with a democratic government and a quickly developing economy. The processes of successful growth were discontinued as a result of the adventurism of king Ferdinand I that led to the catastrophes of 1913. (when this country had to wage wars against Serbia, Montenegro, Greece, Turkey, and Romania at the same time) and of 1918 (warring against the Entente countries). 1923 and 1934 – Democratically elected governments were toppled via coups d’Etat that brought to power authoritarian regimes. 1941 – Bulgaria entered World War II on the side of the Rome-Berlin-Tokyo Axis. Bulgaria was the only ally of Hitler Germany which did not allow the killing of its Jewish citizens. It was thanks to king Boris III and to the Bulgarian governments that no hostilities were waged on this country’s territory. 1944 – After World War II, as a result of the Yalta agreements between the Great Powers, Bulgaria chanced in the field of influence of the Soviet Union. 1953-1989 – Years of the communist rule of Todor Zhivkov who headed both the party and the state. 10 November 1989 – Under the pressure of domestic and international circumstances Todor Zhivkov was forced to resign. Bulgaria once again embarked on the road of democratic development. 7 December 1989 – The Union of Democratic Forces /UDF/ was formed as a unification of 13 opposition organisations. 10-17 June 1990 – The first free parliamentary elections. 12 July 1991 – A new democratic Constitution was passed. 13 October 1991 – The first free local authorities elections. January 1992 – The first free presidential elections. Zhelyu Zhelev was elected as head of the state. 3 November 1996 – Petar Stoyanov, proposed by the UDF, was elected with a landslide majority as President of the Republic of Bulgaria. 19 April 1997 – The Parliamentary elections were won by the Democratic Forces United /DFU/ A government was formed headed by Ivan Kostov, Prime-Minister. Bulgaria started on the road of genuine democratic reforms.