What Happened on July 31?
July 31 is National Avocado Day — guacamole time! — and Harry Potter's fictional birthday. It's also when America issued its first patent in 1790, Ranger 7 sent Moon photos in 1964, and Apollo 15 astronauts drove on the Moon in 1971.
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1498 — Christopher Columbus reaches the island of Trinidad
On July 31, 1498, Columbus sailed into the Gulf of Paria and sighted Trinidad — his third voyage's first landfall in the Americas. Read the full story →
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1790 — The United States issues its first patent
On July 31, 1790, Samuel Hopkins received Patent X000001 for a new method of making potash — America's first official invention certificate. Read the full story →
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1919 — Germany adopts the Weimar Constitution
On July 31, 1919, the Weimar National Assembly approved a democratic constitution for Germany after World War I. Read the full story →
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1961 — The MLB All-Star Game ends in a 1–1 tie
On July 31, 1961, rain stopped the second All-Star Game of the season at Boston's Fenway Park — the only tie in All-Star history. Read the full story →
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1964 — Ranger 7 sends the first close-up photographs of the Moon before crashing
On July 31, 1964, NASA's Ranger 7 probe transmitted thousands of sharp lunar images seconds before impact — paving the way for Apollo landings. Read the full story →
Famous birthdays
J.K. Rowling (1965) · Harry Potter (fictional) (1980) · Wesley Snipes (1962) · Primo Levi (1919–1987)
Days & observances
National Avocado Day · Harry Potter's Birthday · National Mutt Day · World Ranger Day