In 1878 the kingdom of Bulgaria, which has been part of the Ottoman Empire for five centuries, is restored.
In 1946 the communist party presses for the abolition of the kingdom; Bulgaria is consequently declared a People’s Republic. Bulgaria is sovietised and falls into dependency from the USSR.
In 1989 the Turkish minority, which has been persecuted by the authorities, immigrates to Turkey.
In November 1989, after an environmental conference of the CSCE takes place in Sofia, the long time communist leader Todor Zhivkov steps down. Oppositional groups come into open and round table talks take place in January 1990. The congress of the communist party agrees with reforms. In February 1990 A. Lukanov becomes the new prime minister. The Communist Party is renamed the Socialist Party of Bulgaria and it wins the first democratic elections in June 1990.
In July 1991 a new constitution is adopted.
In 1991 in the parliamentary elections communists lose support and the Union of Democratic Forces wins by a narrow margin. On 8 November the first non-communist government since 1944 is formed under the leadership of Filip Dimitrov.
In 1995 Bulgaria applies to membership in the European Union.
1997 Bulgaria applies to membership in NATO.
In 2004 Bulgaria joins NATO and in 2007 becomes a member of the European Union.