WEDNESDAY, APRIL 1, 2009

Today is Wednesday, April 1, the 91st day of 2009. There are 274 days left in the year.

1578 _ William Harvey of England discovers blood circulation

1748 _ Ruins of Pompeii found

1778 _ Oliver Pollock, a New Orleans businessman, creates ``$" symbol

1836 _ Charles Darwin aboard HMS Beagle reaches Cocos Islands

1867 _ International Exhibition opens in Paris France

1891 _ Painter Gauguin leaves Marseille for Tahiti

1934 _ Bonnie and Clyde kill two police officers

1945 _ U.S. forces launch invasion of Okinawa during WWII

1952 _ Big Bang theory proposed in Physical Review by Alpher, Bethe and Gamow

1979 _ Iran proclaimed an Islamic Republic following fall of Shah