Timeline / 1850 to 1910 / ROMANIA Date Country Theme 1850 Romania Music, Literature, Dance And Fashion January: the birth of Mihai Eminescu, who is considered to be the most important Romanian poet of the 19th century. 1851 Romania International Exhibitions Wallachia and Moldavia participate in the Great Exhibition of the Works of Industry of all Nations, organised at the Crystal Palace in London. Their products are exhibited in the Ottoman pavilion. 1853 Romania Great Inventions Of The 19th Century 14 February: installation of the first electric telegraph lines in the Romanian territories, connecting Ia#i with Cern#u#i. 1854 Romania Great Inventions Of The 19th Century 20 August: inauguration of the first railway of Romania, linking Bazia# to Oravi#a (in Banat). Used at first to transport coal, it was opened for passenger transportation in 1856. In the United Principalities, the first railway line, built by the British company J.T. Barkley and J. Staniforth, was inaugurated 31 October 1869. 1855 - 1856 Romania Reforms And Social Changes In Moldavia (22 December 1855) and then in Wallachia (20 February 1856) a law for the emancipation of the gypsy slaves of private owners is passed. Gypsies belonging to the church and to the state had already been liberated. 1856 Romania Political Context At the Congress of Paris peace conference, Wallachia and Moldavia are put under the collective guarantee of the Great Powers (Austria, Russia, Prussia, Piedmont, the UK and France), while remaining under Ottoman sovereignty. The Russian protectorate over the Romanian countries is ended. Moldavia receives the southeast of Bessarabia. 1856 Romania Economy And Trade The internationalisation of the Danube through the Treaty of Paris has a positive influence on the development of Romanian commerce. 1857 Romania Economy And Trade March: the first oil refinery in Romania is built by Teodor Mehedin#eanu at Râfov, Prahova. 1858 Romania Reforms And Social Changes Date Country Theme Through the Paris Convention signed in August 1858 by Russia, the UK, France, Piedmont, Prussia, Austria and the Ottoman Empire the privileges and ranks of the Romanian aristocracy in Moldavia and Wallachia are abolished. 1858 Romania Political Context 19 August: the Ottoman Empire, Austria, Russia, Prussia, Piedmont, the UK and France sign the Paris Convention marking the creation of the United Principalities of Wallachia and Moldavia, with separate rulers, legislative and executive powers, and only two institutions in common (Supreme Court of Appeals and central legislative commission). The convention replaces the Organic Regulations, becoming the new constitution of the United Principalities. 1859 - 1861 Romania Political Context Union of Moldavia and Wallachia. In January 1859 Alexandru Ioan Cuza is elected ruler of both Moldavia and Wallachia, the double election being recognised by the Great Powers and the Ottoman Empire. In November 1861 the sultan issues a ferman approving the political and administrative union of Moldavia and Wallachia during Cuza’s reign. The United Principalities could now have a single government and parliament. 1860 Romania Fine And Applied Arts 7 November: on the initiative of painter Gheorghe Panaitescu-Bardasare, a School of Fine Arts and an art gallery are founded in Ia#i. 1863 Romania Reforms And Social Changes December: the National Gathering of the United Principalities adopts the law through which the land owned by monasteries (more than a quarter of Romania’s surface) becomes property of the state. 1863 Romania Music, Literature, Dance And Fashion The literary society Junimea, which had an important role in promoting Romanian literature, is founded in Ia#i. In 1867 it begins publishing a periodical in which the works of Romanian writers appear and also translations from worldwide literature. 1864 Romania Fine And Applied Arts Dimitrie Bolintineanu, the Minister of Religion and Public Instruction, organises in Bucharest an exhibition displaying works of contemporary Romanian artists, the most important of the time being painters Theodor Aman, Gheorghe Tattarescu and Carol Popp de Szathmari. 1864 Romania Reforms And Social Changes December: the law of public instruction establishes free, compulsory primary education. 1864 Romania Political Context Date Country Theme 14 May: coup d’état of Alexandru Ioan Cuza, who dissolves parliament and proposes a new constitutional project, which is voted the same month and ratified by the Ottoman Empire and the guaranteeing Powers in June 1864. The Statute Expanding the Paris Convention assigned greater power to the prince and the government. 1864 Romania Cities And Urban Spaces 19 August: establishment of Bucharest’s city hall. Bucharest had been the United Principalities’ capital since 1861. 1864 Romania Reforms And Social Changes 26 August: Alexandru Ioan Cuza promulgates the first Romanian land reform, which transforms peasants into owners of the land on which they had been working on the estates of the aristocracy. Peasants are also freed from the duties they had to perform for the nobility. 1864 Romania Cities And Urban Spaces 14 April: the Commune Law is adopted by which cities and towns become urban communes, led by a mayor and a council. All urban communes must have a fire department and a hospital. 1864 Romania Great Inventions Of The 19th Century 4 August: establishment of the General Directorate of the Post and the Telegraph in the United Principalities. 1864 Romania Fine And Applied Arts 14 November: a School of Fine Arts (which today is the National University of Art) is founded in Bucharest by painters Gheorghe Tattarescu and Theodor Aman. 1864 Romania Economy And Trade 27 October: foundation of the Romanian Chamber of Commerce and Industry. 1865 Romania Fine And Applied Arts The first showing of the “Living Artists Exhibition” (for painters and sculptors), organised by painter Theodor Aman, takes place in Ia#i. The annual organisation of such an exhibition is established by a decree issued in December 1864. 1866 Romania Political Context 14–20 April: plebiscite leading to German Prince Carol de Hohenzollern- Sigmaringen being elected ruler of the United Principalities and recognised by the Ottoman Empire in October. On 13 July a new constitution is adopted, based on the Belgian one from 1835. 1866 Romania Political Context Date Country Theme February: because of his authoritative regime, Cuza is forced to abdicate by a coalition of conservative and liberal-radical politicians. 1867 Romania International Exhibitions At the International Exposition held in Paris, the United Principalities of Wallachia and Moldavia have their own pavilions. 1867 Romania Political Context The centre of present-day Transylvania is integrated into the Hungarian kingdom after the creation of the Austro-Hungarian monarchy. Partium and Banat had already been included in Hungary. 1867 Romania Economy And Trade 4 May: proclamation of the law for the introduction of a new monetary system and for the issuing of national coins; 1870 is the year when the first Romanian coins are minted in Romania having previously been minted abroad. 1867 Romania Rediscovering The Past The Pietroasa Treasure is displayed at the International Exposition in Paris. 1867 Romania International Exhibitions On the occasion of the International Exposition of Paris a book with information about Romania’s agriculture, commerce, industry and resources is published in Paris by a commission coordinated by Alexandru Odobescu. 1868 Romania Music, Literature, Dance And Fashion 29 April: the Romanian Philharmonic Society is founded by conductor Eduard Wachmann with the aim of organising a permanent symphony orchestra. The inaugural concert takes place in the same year on 15 December. 1869 Romania Great Inventions Of The 19th Century Timi#oara is the first city in Romania to use horse-drawn trams for public transportation. In Bucharest they are introduced in 1871. 1869 Romania Great Inventions Of The 19th Century Installation of the first public telephone line in Romania (in Bucharest between the Minister of Internal Affairs and the Central Post Office). 1871 Romania Rediscovering The Past Alexandru Odobescu sends an archaeological questionnaire to teachers all over the country, who have to return information about archaeological discoveries or vestiges of antique monuments existing in the areas where they live or work. Date Country Theme 1873 Romania Travelling The first tourism organisation from Romania, called the Alpine Association of Transylvania, is founded in Bra#ov. 1873 Romania International Exhibitions Two Romanians are members of the international jury of the Vienna International Exposition: agronomist and economist P.S. Aurelian and doctor Carol Davila. 1874 Romania Reforms And Social Changes Issue of the first sanitation law in the United Principalities. The sanitation system is organised hierarchically and a Superior Medical Council, with a consultative role, is created. 1874 Romania Rediscovering The Past 18 April: decree for the founding of the Commission of Public Monuments to record the public monuments on Romanian territory and to ensure their conservation. 1875 - 1893 Romania Political Context Creation of the first Romanian political parties: the Liberal Party (1875), the Conservative Party (1880), the Radical-Democratic Party (1888), and the Social- Democratic Party of Romanian Labourers (1893). 1876 Romania Fine And Applied Arts 19 February: birth of the great Romanian sculptor Constantin Brâncu#i, author of sculptures such