Short answers, pulled from the story.
Officials in Madrid officially adopted the name euro for a new currency on the 16th of December 1995. This decision followed years of negotiation under the 1992 Maastricht Treaty which required member states to meet strict criteria before joining the monetary union.
Austrian designer Robert Kalina created the initial design for all euro banknotes featuring windows or gateways on the front side and bridges on the back. These architectural elements symbolize links between states and with the future while resembling specific prototypes like the Rialto Bridge in Venice.
Following the 2008 financial crisis fears developed about sovereign defaults among investors in early 2010 affecting Greece Cyprus Ireland Italy Portugal and Spain significantly. S&P downgraded credit ratings for nine euro-area countries including France while Moody's issued warnings against Germany itself during summer 2012.
Studies concluded that the euro increased trade within the zone by approximately 5% to 10% while physical investment rose by 5% following introduction. Foreign direct investment stocks grew roughly 20% in four years as companies previously using weak currencies gained easier access to financing through lower interest rates.
The second series called the Europa series began issuing notes in 2013 without the €500 denomination which was discontinued as of the 27th of April 2019. The European Central Bank manages the printing process alongside national central banks for all other denominations.