THURSDAY, APRIL 8, 2010

Today is Thursday, April 8, the 98th day of 2010. There are 267 days left in the year.

1766 _ First fire escape patented, wicker basket on a pulley and chain

1781 _ Premiere of Mozart's violin sonata K379

1832 _ Charles Darwin begins trip through Rio de Janeiro

1913 _ Opening of China's first parliament takes place in Peking (now Beijing)

1916 _ Norway approves active and passive female suffrage

1946 _ League of Nations assembles for last time

1968 _ 40th Academy Awards postponed to April 10th due to death of Martin Luther King Jr.

1985 _ India files suit against Union Carbide over Bhopal disaster

1988 _ Televangelist Jimmy Swaggart, 52, was defrocked by the Assemblies of God following the

disclosure of his involvement with a prostitute

1989 _ One-handed pitcher Jim Abbott debut but lasts only 4 2/3 innings