1423
603 years ago
UK story
Hundred Years' War: Battle of Cravant: A Franco-Scottish army is defeated by the Anglo-Burgundians at Cravant on the banks of the river Yonne.
On this day: 31 July
136 things happened on 31 July, from 1009 to 2026. UK stories come first, then the rest of the world.
In the UK 5
UK history first: stories from England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
1703
323 years ago
UK story
Daniel Defoe is placed in a pillory for the crime of seditious libel after publishing a politically satirical pamphlet, but is pelted with flowers.
1856
170 years ago
1970
56 years ago
UK story
Black Tot Day: The last day of the officially sanctioned rum ration in the Royal Navy.
2007
19 years ago
UK story
The Troubles: Operation Banner, the British Armed Forces' operation in Northern Ireland, ended after 38 years with a military stalemate and ceasefire.
Around the world 28
1009
1,017 years ago
Sergius IV became the 142nd pope, succeeding John XVIII.
1498
528 years ago
On his third voyage to the Western Hemisphere, Christopher Columbus becomes the first European to discover the island of Trinidad.
1618
408 years ago
Maurice, Prince of Orange disbands the waardgelders militia in Utrecht, a pivotal event in the Remonstrant/Counter-Remonstrant tensions.
1655
371 years ago
Russo-Polish War (1654–67): The Russian army enters the capital of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, Vilnius, which it holds for six years.
1658
368 years ago
Aurangzeb is proclaimed Mughal emperor of India.
1667
359 years ago
The Second Anglo-Dutch War ended with the signing of the Treaty of Breda.
1741
285 years ago
Charles Albert of Bavaria invades Upper Austria and Bohemia.
1777
249 years ago
The Second Continental Congress passed a resolution commissioning the Marquis de Lafayette (pictured) as a major general in the American revolutionary forces.
1790
236 years ago
The first U.S. patent is issued, to inventor Samuel Hopkins for a potash process.
1865
161 years ago
The first narrow-gauge mainline railway in the world opens at Grandchester, Queensland, Australia.
1874
152 years ago
Patrick Francis Healy was inaugurated as president of Georgetown University, becoming the first African-American president of a predominantly white university in the United States.
1904
122 years ago
Russo-Japanese War: Battle of Hsimucheng: Units of the Imperial Japanese Army defeat units of the Imperial Russian Army in a strategic confrontation.
1917
109 years ago
First World War: The Battle of Passchendaele began near Ypres, Belgium, with the Allies aiming to force German troops to withdraw from the Channel Ports.
1924
102 years ago
A private senator's bill by Herbert Payne to introduce compulsory voting in Australia became law.
1938
88 years ago
Bulgaria signs a non-aggression pact with Greece and other states of Balkan Antanti (Turkey, Romania, Yugoslavia).
1938
88 years ago
Archaeologists discover engraved gold and silver plates from King Darius the Great in Persepolis.
1945
81 years ago
Pierre Laval, the fugitive former leader of Vichy France, surrenders to Allied soldiers in Austria.
1948
78 years ago
At Idlewild Field in New York, New York International Airport (later renamed John F. Kennedy International Airport) is dedicated.
1954
72 years ago
A team of Italian climbers became the first to reach the summit of K2, the world's second-highest mountain.
1964
62 years ago
Ranger program: Ranger 7 sends back the first close-up photographs of the moon, with images 1,000 times clearer than anything ever seen from earth-bound telescopes.
1971
55 years ago
Apollo program: The Apollo 15 astronauts become the first to ride in a lunar rover.
1991
35 years ago
The United States and Soviet Union both sign the START I Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty, the first to reduce (with verification) both countries' stockpiles.
1992
34 years ago
The nation of Georgia joins the United Nations.
1992
34 years ago
Space Shuttle program: Atlantis is launched on STS-46 to deploy the European Retrievable Carrier and the Tethered Satellite System.
2000
26 years ago
Three years after being hit by a mudslide, the Ten Thousand Buddhas Monastery in Hong Kong fully reopened.
2006
20 years ago
Following intestinal surgery, Fidel Castro provisionally transferred the duties of the Cuban presidency to his brother Raúl.
2012
14 years ago
The largest power outage in history occurred across 22 Indian states, affecting more than 620 million people, or about 9 percent of the world's population.
2012
14 years ago
Michael Phelps breaks the record set in 1964 by Larisa Latynina for the most medals won at the Olympics.
Quick quiz
Every answer is somewhere on this page. Have a go, then check!
-
In which year did this happen: “The Troubles: Operation Banner, the British Armed Forces' operation in”?
- 1974
- 1703
- 2007
Show the answer
C: 2007. 2007 — that’s 19 years ago. Find it on the page
-
In which year did this happen: “Daniel Defoe is placed in a pillory for the crime of seditious libel”?
- 2007
- 1703
- 1970
Show the answer
B: 1703. 1703 — that’s 323 years ago. Find it on the page
-
Which of these happened first?
- Hundred Years' War: Battle of Cravant: A Franco-Scottish army is defeated by
- The Troubles: Operation Banner, the British Armed Forces' operation in
- Daniel Defoe is placed in a pillory for the crime of seditious libel
Show the answer
A: Hundred Years' War: Battle of Cravant: A Franco-Scottish army is defeated by. 1423: Hundred Years' War: Battle of Cravant: A Franco-Scottish army is defeated by · 2007: The Troubles: Operation Banner, the British Armed Forces' operation in · 1703: Daniel Defoe is placed in a pillory for the crime of seditious libel Find it on the page
-
“Hundred Years' War: Battle of Cravant: A Franco-Scottish army is defeated by” happened in 1423. How many years ago was that?
- 613 years
- 603 years
- 593 years
Show the answer
B: 603 years. 2026 − 1423 = 603. Find it on the page
Born on this day 39
Famous people whose birthday is 31 July.
- 1965 J. K. Rowling — English author and film producer UK Read more about J. K. Rowling on Wikipedia
- 1912 Milton Friedman — American economist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (died 2006) Read more about Milton Friedman on Wikipedia
- 1947 Richard Griffiths — English actor (died 2013) UK Read more about Richard Griffiths on Wikipedia
- 1914 Louis de Funès — French actor and screenwriter (died 1983) Read more about Louis de Funès on Wikipedia
- 1919 Primo Levi — Italian chemist and author (died 1987) Read more about Primo Levi on Wikipedia
- 1963 Norman Cook (Fatboy Slim) — English DJ and musician UK Read more about Norman Cook (Fatboy Slim) on Wikipedia
- 1921 Peter Benenson — English lawyer and activist, founded Amnesty International (died 2005) UK Read more about Peter Benenson on Wikipedia
- 1974 Emilia Fox — English actress UK Read more about Emilia Fox on Wikipedia
- 1880 Premchand — Indian author and playwright (died 1936) Read more about Premchand on Wikipedia
- 1929 Oriana Fallaci — Italian journalist and writer (died 2006) Read more about Oriana Fallaci on Wikipedia
- 1989 Victoria Azarenka — Belarusian tennis player Read more about Victoria Azarenka on Wikipedia
- 1970 Ben Chaplin — English actor UK Read more about Ben Chaplin on Wikipedia
- 1962 Wesley Snipes — American actor and producer Read more about Wesley Snipes on Wikipedia
- 1947 Karl Green — English bass player and songwriter UK Read more about Karl Green on Wikipedia
- 1981 Titus Bramble — English footballer UK Read more about Titus Bramble on Wikipedia
- 1978 Justin Wilson — English race car driver (died 2015) UK Read more about Justin Wilson on Wikipedia
- 1800 Friedrich Wöhler — German chemist and academic (died 1882) Read more about Friedrich Wöhler on Wikipedia
- 1901 Jean Dubuffet — French painter and sculptor (died 1985) Read more about Jean Dubuffet on Wikipedia
- 2003 Calvin Ramsay — Scottish footballer UK Read more about Calvin Ramsay on Wikipedia
- 1527 Maximilian II — Holy Roman Emperor (died 1576) Read more about Maximilian II on Wikipedia
- 1718 John Canton — English physicist and academic (died 1772) UK Read more about John Canton on Wikipedia
- 1969 Antonio Conte — Italian footballer and manager Read more about Antonio Conte on Wikipedia
- 1959 Kim Newman — English journalist and author UK Read more about Kim Newman on Wikipedia
- 1971 Eve Best — English actress UK Read more about Eve Best on Wikipedia
- 1396 Philip III — Duke of Burgundy (died 1467) Read more about Philip III on Wikipedia
- 1929 Lynne Reid Banks — English author (died 2024) UK Read more about Lynne Reid Banks on Wikipedia
- 1858 Richard Dixon Oldham — English seismologist and geologist (died 1936) UK Read more about Richard Dixon Oldham on Wikipedia
- 1944 Geraldine Chaplin — American actress and screenwriter Read more about Geraldine Chaplin on Wikipedia
- 1957 Mark Thompson — English business executive UK Read more about Mark Thompson on Wikipedia
- 1959 Andrew Marr — Scottish journalist and author UK Read more about Andrew Marr on Wikipedia
- 1965 Ian Roberts — English-Australian rugby league player and actor UK Read more about Ian Roberts on Wikipedia
- 1932 John Searle — American philosopher and academic (died 2025) Read more about John Searle on Wikipedia
- 1979 Carlos Marchena — Spanish footballer Read more about Carlos Marchena on Wikipedia
- 1957 Daniel Ash — English singer-songwriter and guitarist UK Read more about Daniel Ash on Wikipedia
- 1923 Stephanie Kwolek — American chemist and engineer, invented Kevlar (died 2014) Read more about Stephanie Kwolek on Wikipedia
- 1926 Hilary Putnam — American mathematician, computer scientist, and philosopher (died 2016) Read more about Hilary Putnam on Wikipedia
- 1933 Cees Nooteboom — Dutch journalist, author, and poet (died 2026) Read more about Cees Nooteboom on Wikipedia
- 1956 Michael Biehn — American actor, director, producer, and screenwriter Read more about Michael Biehn on Wikipedia
- 1976 Paulo Wanchope — Costa Rican footballer and manager Read more about Paulo Wanchope on Wikipedia
Remembering 20
Well-known people who died on 31 July.
- 1944 Antoine de Saint-Exupéry — French pilot and poet (born 1900) Read more about Antoine de Saint-Exupéry on Wikipedia
- 1784 Denis Diderot — French philosopher and critic (born 1713) Read more about Denis Diderot on Wikipedia
- 1875 Andrew Johnson — American general and politician, 17th President of the United States (born 1808) Read more about Andrew Johnson on Wikipedia
- 1886 Franz Liszt — Hungarian pianist, composer, and conductor (born 1811) Read more about Franz Liszt on Wikipedia
- 1556 Ignatius of Loyola — Spanish priest and theologian, founded the Society of Jesus (born 1491) Read more about Ignatius of Loyola on Wikipedia
- 2009 Bobby Robson — English footballer and manager (born 1933) UK Read more about Bobby Robson on Wikipedia
- 2020 Alan Parker — English filmmaker (born 1944) UK Read more about Alan Parker on Wikipedia
- 2024 Ismail Haniyeh — Palestinian politician, political leader of Hamas (born 1962/1963) Read more about Ismail Haniyeh on Wikipedia
- 2012 Gore Vidal — American novelist, screenwriter, and critic (born 1925) Read more about Gore Vidal on Wikipedia
- 2017 Jeanne Moreau — French actress (born 1928) Read more about Jeanne Moreau on Wikipedia
- 1914 Jean Jaurès — French journalist and politician (born 1859) Read more about Jean Jaurès on Wikipedia
- 1942 Francis Younghusband — British Army Officer, explorer and spiritual writer (born 1863) UK Read more about Francis Younghusband on Wikipedia
- 1993 Baudouin — King of Belgium (born 1930) Read more about Baudouin on Wikipedia
- 2022 Fidel V. Ramos — 12th President of the Philippines (born 1928) Read more about Fidel V. Ramos on Wikipedia
- 2026 Franco Baresi — Italian footballer (born 1960) Read more about Franco Baresi on Wikipedia
- 1913 John Milne — British geologist and mining engineer. (born 1850) UK Read more about John Milne on Wikipedia
- 1917 Hedd Wyn — Welsh language poet (born 1887) UK Read more about Hedd Wyn on Wikipedia
- 1992 Leonard Cheshire — English captain and pilot (born 1917) UK Read more about Leonard Cheshire on Wikipedia
- 1917 Francis Ledwidge — Irish soldier and poet (born 1881) UK Read more about Francis Ledwidge on Wikipedia
- 1098 Hugh of Montgomery — 2nd Earl of Shrewsbury UK Read more about Hugh of Montgomery on Wikipedia
Special days 13
Festivals, holidays and saints’ days celebrated on 31 July somewhere in the world.
- End of the Trinity term (sitting of the High Court of Justice of England) Read more about Trinity term on Wikipedia
- 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) Read more about Baháʼí calendar on Wikipedia
- Treasury Day (Poland) Read more about Public holidays in Poland on Wikipedia
- Warriors' Day (Malaysia) Read more about Heroes' Day on Wikipedia
- Lā Hae Hawaiʻi Day (Hawaii, United States), and its related observance: Sovereignty Restoration Day (Hawaiian sovereignty movement) Read more about Sovereignty Restoration Day on Wikipedia
- Christian saints’ and feast days: Ignatius of Loyola, Blessed Cecília Schelingová, Germanus of Auxerre, Giustino de Jacobis, Blessed Solanus Casey, Neot, Fabius, July 31 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics).
For older readers 31 Show stories about war, disasters, crime and other difficult history
Content note: these entries mention things like war, violence, deaths, disasters or crime. They are part of history, but they can be upsetting. Grown-ups and teachers: you may want to read them first. They come straight from Wikipedia and have not been rewritten for children.
- 1972 The Troubles: Hours after the British Army's Operation Motorman brought an end to the self-declared autonomous area of Free Derry (Free Derry Corner pictured) in Northern Ireland, three car bombs exploded in the village of Claudy. Read more about The Troubles on Wikipedia
- 1975 The Troubles: In a botched paramilitary attack, three members of the popular Miami Showband and two Ulster Volunteer Force gunmen were killed in County Down, Northern Ireland. Read more about The Troubles on Wikipedia
- 1966 The pleasure cruiser MV Darlwyne disappeared off the coast of Cornwall with the loss of all 31 people aboard. Read more about Loss of MV Darlwyne on Wikipedia
- 1763 Odawa Chief Pontiac's forces defeat British troops at the Battle of Bloody Run during Pontiac's War. Read more about Pontiac (Odawa leader) on Wikipedia
- 1941 The Holocaust: Under instructions from Adolf Hitler, Hermann Göring authorised SS officer Reinhard Heydrich to handle preparations for the "Final Solution of the Jewish question". Read more about The Holocaust on Wikipedia
- 2002 Hamas attackers detonated a bomb at the Mount Scopus campus of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, killing nine students and injuring about 100 more. Read more about Hamas on Wikipedia
- AD 781 The oldest recorded eruption of Mount Fuji (Traditional Japanese date: Sixth day of the seventh month of the first year of the Ten'o (天応) era). Read more about Mount Fuji on Wikipedia
- 1991 Soviet Special Purpose Police Unit troops killed seven Lithuanian customs officials in Medininkai in the most serious attack of their campaign against Lithuanian border posts. Read more about OMON on Wikipedia
- 1932 The NSDAP (Nazi Party) wins more than 38% of the vote in German elections. Read more about Nazi Party on Wikipedia
- 2020 A mid-air collision in Soldotna, Alaska, United States, killed seven people, including state representative Gary Knopp. Read more about 2020 Alaska mid-air collision on Wikipedia
- AD 432 Election of pope Sixtus III following the death of pope Celestine I four days prior. Read more about Pope Sixtus III on Wikipedia
- 1973 A Delta Air Lines jetliner, flight DL 723, crashes while landing in fog at Logan International Airport, Boston, Massachusetts, killing 89. Read more about Delta Air Lines on Wikipedia
- 1492 All remaining Jews are expelled from Spain when the Alhambra Decree takes effect. Read more about Alhambra Decree on Wikipedia
- 1941 World War II: The Battle of Smolensk concludes with Germany capturing about 300,000 Soviet Red Army prisoners. Read more about Battle of Smolensk (1941) on Wikipedia
- 1999 Discovery Program: Lunar Prospector: NASA intentionally crashes the spacecraft into the Moon, thus ending its mission to detect frozen water on the Moon's surface. Read more about Discovery Program on Wikipedia
- AD 768 Antipope Constantine II is arrested by primicerius Christopher and Lombard troops sent to aid him by king Desiderius. Read more about Antipope Constantine II on Wikipedia
- 1948 USS Nevada is sunk by an aerial torpedo after surviving hits from two atomic bombs (as part of post-war tests) and being used for target practice by three other ships. Read more about USS Nevada (BB-36) on Wikipedia
- 1451 Jacques Cœur is arrested by order of Charles VII of France. Read more about Jacques Cœur on Wikipedia
- 1992 Thai Airways International Flight 311 crashes into a mountain north of Kathmandu, Nepal, killing all 113 people on board. Read more about Thai Airways International Flight 311 on Wikipedia
- 1997 FedEx Express Flight 14 crashes at Newark International Airport, injuring five. Read more about FedEx Express Flight 14 on Wikipedia
- 2014 Gas explosions in the southern Taiwanese city of Kaohsiung kill at least 20 people and injure more than 270. Read more about 2014 Kaohsiung gas explosions on Wikipedia
- 1201 Attempted usurpation by John Komnenos the Fat for the throne of Alexios III Angelos. Read more about John Komnenos the Fat on Wikipedia
- 1992 China General Aviation Flight 7552 crashes during takeoff from Nanjing Dajiaochang Airport, killing 108. Read more about China General Aviation Flight 7552 on Wikipedia
- AD 398 End of the Gildonic rebellion after Gildo's forces are defeated by forces loyal to Western Roman Emperor Honorius under Gildo's brother Mascezel and Gildo's subsequent death. Read more about Gildonic War on Wikipedia
- 1715 Seven days after a Spanish treasure fleet of 12 ships left Havana, Cuba for Spain, 11 of them sink in a storm off the coast of Florida. A few centuries later, treasure is salvaged from these wrecks. Read more about 1715 Treasure Fleet on Wikipedia
- 1987 A tornado occurs in Edmonton, Alberta, killing 27 people. Read more about Edmonton tornado on Wikipedia
- 1988 Thirty-two people are killed and 1,674 injured when a bridge at the Sultan Abdul Halim ferry terminal collapses in Butterworth, Penang, Malaysia. Read more about Sultan Abdul Halim ferry terminal bridge collapse on Wikipedia
- 2008 East Coast Jets Flight 81 crashes near Owatonna Degner Regional Airport in Owatonna, Minnesota, killing all eight people on board. Read more about East Coast Jets Flight 81 on Wikipedia
- — Martyrdom Day of Shahid Udham Singh (Haryana and Punjab, India) Read more about Udham Singh on Wikipedia
- — Christian feast day: Helena of Skövde Read more about Helena of Skövde on Wikipedia
- — Christian feast day: Abanoub Read more about Abanoub on Wikipedia
Where these facts come from
Stories with a heading have been written for young readers by A Day in the Past, using the linked articles as sources. Other entries show text from Wikipedia’s “July 31” page and its “On this day” feed, written by Wikipedia contributors and shared under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 licence. Each “Read more” link goes to the article an entry is based on. Photos are credited under each picture. Spotted a mistake? Please tell us.