FEBRUARY 16 IN HISTORY

1699 - Diploma Leopoldinum (Leopold's Diploma) extends to the Greek-Catholic clergy in Transylvania the privileges enjoyed by Catholic priests

1886 - Birth of engineer Constantin Budeanu, member of the Romanian Academy (d. 27 February 1959)

1902 - Birth of agricultural engineer Teodor Bordeianu, member of the Romanian Academy (d. 19 March 1969)

1906 - Birth of mathematician Tiberiu Popoviciu, member of the Romanian Academy (d. 29 December 1975)

1930 - The Romanian Football Federation is established

1933 - Romania, Yugoslavia and Czechoslovakia conclude in Geneva the Pact of Organisation of the Little Entente, which Romania ratified on 9 May 1933; it entered into force on May 30, the same year

1939 - Birth of poet, writer and essayist Ilie Constantin

1939 - Birth of writer and playwright George Suru (d. 29 May, 1979)

1956 - Death of chemist Constantin V. Gheorghiu, corresponding member of the Romanian Academy (b. 25 October 1894)

1968 - The Great National Assembly votes the law on the administrative organisation of Romania, which scrapped regions and reinstated counties (39 plus the Bucharest municipality)

1999 - Groups of miners (around 3,000 people) from Petrosani, including Miron Cozma, head for Bucharest in cars, buses and trucks

2007 - Death of philosopher Virgil Candea, member of the Romanian Academy (b. 29 April 1927)

2013 - Romanian director Calin Peter Netzer's feature "Child's Pose" wins the Golden Bear at the 63rd edition of the Berlin International Film Festival.AGERPRES