Bulgarian umbrella Bulgarian umbrella A Bulgarian umbrella is an umbrella with a hidden pneumatic mechanism which injects a small poisonous pellet containing ricin. It has a hollowed stalk into which the pellet neatly sits. Such an umbrella was allegedly used in and named for the assassination of the Bulgarian dissident writer Georgi Markov on 7 September 1978 (the birthday of the Bulgarian State Council chairman Todor Zhivkov, who had often been the target of Georgi Markov's criticism) on Waterloo Bridge in London. Markov died three days later. It was also allegedly used in the failed assassination attempt against the Bulgarian dissident journalist
1978 London bus attack 1978 London bus attack On 20 August 1978, a staff bus of El Al airlines in London was attacked by Palestinian terrorists. A flight attendant and one terrorist were killed in the attack, and nine people were wounded. At around 13:30, a minibus with staff of the El Al airlines was attacked during a stopover at the Europa Hotel in Grosvenor Square, Mayfair, central London, when two or three men opened fire with submachine guns and hand grenades. An El Al flight attendant was killed in the attack, while members of a wedding party were among those wounded by gun