July 31: Holidays, Historical Events, Famous Birthdays & Zodiac Sign
On July 31, 1971, Apollo 15 astronauts became the first humans to drive a car on the Moon — a date that also gave the world Kevlar and the first U.S. patent.
About July 31
July 31 has a habit of marking beginnings and breakthroughs. The Baháʼí calendar kicks off its eighth month with the Feast of Kamál, honoring the concept of perfection. It's also a red-letter day for the legal profession: the Trinity term of England's High Court of Justice wraps up, while Malaysia honors its warriors and Poland celebrates Treasury Day.
In the realm of exploration, the date shines brightly. Christopher Columbus first laid eyes on the island of Trinidad during his third voyage westward in 1498, and nearly five centuries later, Apollo 15 astronauts took humanity's first lunar rover for a spin across the Moon's dusty surface. Back on Earth in 1790, the United States issued its very first patent — for a potash-making process that would help power the young nation's agriculture.
But the day carries solemn weight too. In 1492, the Alhambra Decree took effect, forcing Spain's remaining Jewish population into exile. In 1917, the Battle of Passchendaele began — one of World War I's grueling and deadliest campaigns. Yet July 31 also brought signs of progress toward peace: in 1991, the U.S. and Soviet Union signed the START I treaty, the first agreement requiring both nations to actually reduce their nuclear arsenals with verification.
Holidays & Observances on July 31
- Earliest day on which the Feast of Kamál (Perfection) can fall, while August 1 is the latest; observed on the first day of the eighth month of the Baháʼí calendar. (Baháʼí Faith)
- End of the Trinity term (sitting of the High Court of Justice of England)
- Lā Hae Hawaiʻi Day (Hawaii, United States), and its related observance: Sovereignty Restoration Day (Hawaiian sovereignty movement)
- Martyrdom Day of Shahid Udham Singh (Haryana and Punjab, India)
- Treasury Day (Poland)
- Warriors' Day (Malaysia)
Fun & National Days on July 31
- National Avocado Day — Mash some guacamole or pile avocado on toast to celebrate everyone's favorite green superfood.
- National Cotton Candy Day — Grab a fluffy pink cloud of spun sugar and relish the pure nostalgia of a carnival treat.
- National Mutt Day — Shower your mixed-breed best friend with extra belly rubs, treats, and a long walk today.
- National Raspberry Cake Day — Bake or buy a berry-topped confection and savor the sweet, tart joy of summer raspberries.
- System Administrator Appreciation Day — Thank your IT heroes with coffee and cookies — they keep the digital world from falling apart.
- National Get Gnarly Day
- National Jump for Jelly Beans Day
- National SPAM Day
- National Talk in an Elevator Day
- Shredded Wheat Day
On This Day in History
- 781 — Mount Fuji erupts in its oldest documented volcanic event, recorded in the traditional Japanese calendar as the sixth day of the seventh month.
- 1492 — The Alhambra Decree takes force, compelling all remaining Jews in Spain to leave their homeland under royal expulsion orders.
- 1498 — Sailing on his third transatlantic voyage, Christopher Columbus reaches Trinidad, becoming the first known European to encounter the island.
- 1703 — Author Daniel Defoe endures public pillory punishment for seditious libel, but supportive onlookers pelt him with flowers instead of refuse.
- 1790 — The United States grants its first-ever patent to inventor Samuel Hopkins, covering a new industrial process for producing potash.
- 1874 — Patrick Francis Healy takes the helm as president of Georgetown University, becoming the first African American to lead a predominantly white institution.
- 1917 — British forces launch the Battle of Passchendaele near Ypres, initiating one of the First World War's most grueling and deadly offensives.
- 1948 — New York International Airport — later renamed John F. Kennedy International — is officially dedicated at Idlewild Field in Queens.
- 1964 — NASA's Ranger 7 probe transmits the first close-up lunar photographs, offering views a thousand times sharper than any Earth telescope could achieve.
- 1971 — Apollo 15 astronauts roll out the lunar rover, becoming the first humans to drive a vehicle across the surface of the Moon.
- 1991 — The United States and Soviet Union sign the START I treaty, the first pact mandating verified reductions in both nations' nuclear weapon stockpiles.
- 2012 — Swimmer Michael Phelps surpasses Soviet gymnast Larisa Latynina's 1964 record to become the most decorated Olympian in history.
Famous Birthdays on July 31
- 1800 — Friedrich Wöhler, German chemist renowned for synthesizing urea, a breakthrough that helped bridge organic and inorganic chemistry.
- 1803 — John Ericsson, Swedish-American engineer who designed the USS Monitor, the Union Navy's pioneering ironclad warship.
- 1912 — Milton Friedman, Nobel Prize–winning economist whose influential free-market theories reshaped modern monetary policy and conservative thought.
- 1919 — Primo Levi, Italian chemist and writer whose harrowing memoir of Auschwitz became one of the most vital literary testimonies of the Holocaust.
- 1921 — Peter Benenson, British lawyer who founded Amnesty International, launching a global movement for human rights and prisoner advocacy.
- 1923 — Stephanie Kwolek, American chemist who invented Kevlar, the ultra-strong fiber that has saved countless lives in bulletproof vests and protective gear.
- 1944 — Geraldine Chaplin, Acclaimed actress and daughter of Charlie Chaplin, known for memorable roles in films like Doctor Zhivago and Nashville.
- 1962 — Wesley Snipes, American actor and martial artist recognized for iconic roles in Blade, White Men Can't Jump, and Demolition Man.
- 1963 — Norman Cook (Fatboy Slim), English DJ and electronic music pioneer behind dance anthems like Weapon of Choice and Praise You.
- 1965 — J. K. Rowling, English author whose Harry Potter series became a worldwide cultural phenomenon, selling hundreds of millions of books.