Stambolov was born on January 31st, 1854, in the town of Veliko Turnovo. His ancestors originated from the small town of Tryavna. He finished his secondary education in Veliko Turnovo, and then continued his studies at the Odessa Seminary (1870-1872), but he did not graduate. His father was one of the participants in the so-called Velchova Zavera (an anti-Turkish conspiracy, 1835) and a supporter of the Captain Dyado Nikola Filipovski (1853), who fought against the Turkish oppression. Stefan Stambolov himself was an important figure in organizing the Stara Zagora Uprising (1875) and the April Uprising (1876).
He stands among the most significant and popular figures who took part in building up modern Bulgaria. In 1880 he became a Deputy Chairman, and later Chairman of Bulgarian Parliament. He was a Prime Minister for quite some time ? from 1888 until 1894. He took part in the Unification of Principality of Bulgaria with Eastern Roumelia, as well as in the counter-coup in 1886. His line of politics had always been clearly national-bound, which assisted the consolidation of Bulgarian diplomacy, economy and power of state. Being engaged into political conflicts with Royal Russia and the Bulgarian Knjaz Ferdinand, Stefan Stambolov was beaten to death by political enemies and died on July 6th, 1895, in Sofia.