Georgi Ivanov

The European qualification draw for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, hosted by the USA, Mexico, and Canada, took place today at FIFA headquarters in Zurich. Bulgaria's national football team was drawn into Group E, alongside either Spain or the Netherlands, Turkey, and Georgia.

The Institute for Space Research and Technology at the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences will solemnly celebrate today its 55th anniversary together with the 45th anniversary of the flight of the first Bulgarian cosmonaut Georgi Ivanov.  Bulgaria's first cosmonaut Georgi Ivanov will also take part in the event, which is held under the auspices of President Rumen Radev.

Bulgarian MPs have declined to back a bill proposed by the "There Is Such a People" party (TISP) that aimed to prohibit advertising and medical procedures for gender reassignment for individuals under 18. Meanwhile, "We Continue the Change - Democratic Bulgaria" (WCC-DB) abstained from voting on three of its own proposed amendments to the Child Protection Act.

The date April 12th marks a significant moment in human history, the International Day of Aviation and Astronautics, commemorating Yuri Gagarin's groundbreaking journey into space aboard the "Vostok 1" spacecraft in 1961.

Forty-five years ago, Bulgaria achieved a significant milestone in its space exploration journey as it sent its first cosmonaut, Georgi Ivanov, into outer space.

In a pivotal moment for Bulgarian football, the Bulgarian Football Union (BFS) convened an extraordinary congress at the Marinela Hotel in Sofia to elect a new president after the resignation of Borislav Mihaylov, who held the position for 18 years. The congress, which commenced at 10:30 a.m., saw the emergence of seven candidates vying for Mihaylov's former position.

Bulgaria's Vasil Bozhikov (down) in action against France's Dimitri Payet (top) during the FIFA World Cup 2018 qualifier in Sofia, Bulgaria, 7 October 2017. Photo: EPA-EFE/VASSIL DONEV

"I stand behind my words that my wish is to watch Bulgaria with Bulgarian players," Ivanov said on Wednesday after facing critical reactions in sports and social media. 

On June 7, 1988, 32 years ago, the second Bulgarian cosmonaut Alexander Alexandrov took off. He is the first Bulgarian on a space station and is also the one who spent the longest time in space.

Today marks the 41st anniversary of the flight of the first Bulgarian astronaut Georgi Ivanov.

On April 10, 1979, at 8 pm and 34 minutes Moscow time, a Soyuz-33 spacecraft with an international crew was launched into orbit around the Earth: flight commander Nikolai Rukavishnikov and astronaut-researcher Georgi Ivanov.

In the presence of four presidents - Bulgaria, Albania, Kosovo and Serbia, and in the absence of the VMRO-DPMNE opposition, the new president of North Macedonia, Stevo Pendarovski, took office. There were also two former presidents of the state - Branko Crvenkovski - who rarely appeared at mass events and the former one - Georgi Ivanov.