July 31
July 31 is the 213th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar; 153 days remain until the year's end. It falls in summer (northern hemisphere) and under the astrological sign of Leo.
External references
Curated jump-off points to the major almanacs, encyclopaedias and primary sources for this date.
Astronomy
On July 31 the Sun's declination is approximately +17.9°. At this latitude the Sun is north of the celestial equator, giving the Northern Hemisphere longer days than nights.
For specific rise/set times at your location, see the U.S. Naval Observatory, or the NASA APOD archive for any imagery published on a July 31.
Position in the year
Holidays & observances
- Christian feast day: Abanoub
- Christian feast day: Germanus of Auxerre
- Christian feast day: Ignatius of Loyola
- Christian feast day: Neot
- Christian feast day: July 31 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
Events
A selection of widely-documented historical events that took place on this date. Years marked BCE follow standard astronomical convention.
2014 — Gas explosions in the southern Taiwanese city of Kaohsiung kill at least 20 people and injure more than 270. ↗(12 years ago)more
On 31 July 2014, a series of gas explosions occurred in the Cianjhen and Lingya districts of Kaohsiung, Taiwan, following reports of gas leaks earlier that night. Thirty-two people were killed and 321 people were injured.
2012 — Michael Phelps breaks the record set in 1964 by Larisa Latynina for the most medals won at the Olympics. ↗(14 years ago)more
Michael Fred Phelps II is an American former competitive swimmer. He won more Olympic medals than any other athlete, a total of 28 medals across four Olympic Games. Phelps also holds the all-time records for Olympic gold medals (23), Olympic gold medals in individual events (13), and Olympic medals in individual events (16).
2008 — East Coast Jets Flight 81 crashes near Owatonna Degner Regional Airport in Owatonna, Minnesota, killing all eight people on board. ↗(18 years ago)more
East Coast Jets Flight 81 was a business jet flight operated by East Coast Jets that crashed on July 31, 2008 while attempting a go-around at Owatonna Degner Regional Airport near Owatonna, Minnesota, killing all eight occupants on board. The flight originated in Atlantic City International Airport, and was scheduled to land in Owatonna.
2007 — Operation Banner, the presence of the British Army in Northern Ireland, and the longest-running British Army operation ever, comes to an end. ↗(19 years ago)more
Operation Banner was the operational name for the British Armed Forces' operation in Northern Ireland from 1969 to 2007, as part of the Troubles. It was the longest continuous deployment in British military history. The British Army was initially deployed, at the request of the unionist government of Northern Ireland, in response to the August 1969 riots.
2006 — Fidel Castro hands over power to his brother, Raúl. ↗(20 years ago)more
Fidel Alejandro Castro Ruz was a Cuban politician and revolutionary who was the leader of Cuba from 1959 to 2008, serving as prime minister from 1959 to 1976 and president from 1976 to 2008. Ideologically a Marxist–Leninist and Cuban nationalist, he also served as the first secretary of the Communist Party of Cuba from 1965 until 2011.
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. ↗(27 years ago)more
The Discovery Program is a series of Solar System exploration missions funded by the U.S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) through its Planetary Missions Program Office. The cost of each mission is capped at a lower level than missions from NASA's New Frontiers or Flagship Programs.
1997 — FedEx Express Flight 14 crashes at Newark International Airport, injuring five. ↗(29 years ago)more
FedEx Express Flight 14 was a scheduled cargo flight from Singapore to Newark, New Jersey, via Malaysia, Taiwan, and Alaska. On July 31, 1997, the McDonnell Douglas MD-11F flying this route crashed during a landing on its final segment at Newark International Airport, inverting and catching fire, injuring all five people on board.
1992 — The nation of Georgia joins the United Nations. ↗(34 years ago)more
Georgia is a country in the Caucasus region on the coast of the Black Sea. It is located at the intersection of Eastern Europe and West Asia, and is today generally regarded as part of Europe. It is bordered to the north and northeast by Russia; to the west by the Black Sea, to the south by Turkey and Armenia, and to the southeast by Azerbaijan.
1992 — Thai Airways International Flight 311 crashes into a mountain north of Kathmandu, Nepal killing all 113 people on board. ↗(34 years ago)more
Thai Airways International Flight 311 (TG311/THA311) was a scheduled flight from Bangkok, Thailand's Don Mueang International Airport to Kathmandu, Nepal's Tribhuvan International Airport. On July 31, 1992, at 07:00:26 UTC, the Airbus A310-304 operating the route crashed into the side of a mountain 37 kilometres north of Kathmandu, killing all 113 passeng...
1992 — China General Aviation Flight 7552 crashes during takeoff from Nanjing Dajiaochang Airport, killing 108. ↗(34 years ago)more
China General Aviation Flight 7552 was a China General Aviation flight from Nanjing Dajiaochang Airport to Xiamen Gaoqi International Airport. On July 31, 1992, the Yakovlev Yak-42D overran runway 06 during takeoff and impacted an embankment at 210 kilometres per hour, 420 metres (1,380 ft) from the threshold.
1992 — Space Shuttle program: Atlantis is launched on STS-46 to deploy the European Retrievable Carrier and the Tethered Satellite System. ↗(34 years ago)more
The Space Shuttle program was the fourth human spaceflight program carried out by the U.S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), which accomplished routine transportation for Earth-to-orbit crew and cargo from 1981 to 2011.
1991 — The United States and Soviet Union both sign the START I Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty, the first to reduce (with verification) both countries' stockpiles. ↗(35 years ago)more
The Soviet Union, officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR), was a transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 until its dissolution in 1991. It was the world's third-most populous country, largest by area, and bordered twelve countries.
Notable births
- 2003 — Calvin Ramsay, Scottish footballer ↗(23 years ago)
more
Calvin William Ramsay is a Scottish professional footballer who plays as a right-back for Premier League club Liverpool.
2002 — João Gomes, Brazilian singer ↗(24 years ago)more
João Fernando Gomes Valério is a Brazilian singer and songwriter who came to national prominence with his debut album Eu tenho a senha. One song from the album, "Meu Pedaço de Pecado", was the most played song among Brazil's Spotify users as of 1 July 2021, and also appeared in Spotify's Top 50 Global chart the same month.
2002 — Will Penisini, Australian-Tongan rugby league player ↗(24 years ago)more
Viliami Penisini is a Tonga international rugby league footballer who plays as a centre for the Parramatta Eels in the National Rugby League.
2000 — Kim Sae-ron, South Korean actress (died 2025) ↗(26 years ago)more
Kim Sae-ron was a South Korean actress. Kim began her career in 2001 as a child model and transitioned to acting in 2009 with the film A Brand New Life (2009). She gained recognition through The Man from Nowhere (2010), earning herself a Baeksang Arts Awards for Best New Actress nomination.
1998 — Rico Rodriguez, American actor ↗(28 years ago)more
Rico Rodriguez is an American actor. He is best known for his role as Manny Delgado on the ABC sitcom Modern Family (2009–2020). He received several Screen Actors Guild Awards for his performance. He has also appeared in numerous other television shows and movies—both as himself and other characters—before, during, and after the show's run, such as Epic M...
- 1997 — Bobbi Althoff, American podcaster and influencer ↗(29 years ago)
more
Bobbi Althoff is an American podcaster and influencer known for her viral interviews with Drake, Lil Yachty, Offset, and other celebrities.
Notable deaths
2024 — Paul Bucha, United States Army Medal of Honor recipient (born 1943) ↗(2 years ago)more
Paul William Bucha was an American Vietnam War veteran and a recipient of the Medal of Honor. He was a foreign policy adviser to Barack Obama's 2008 presidential campaign.
2024 — Ismail Haniyeh, Palestinian politician, political leader of Hamas (born 1962/1963) ↗(2 years ago)more
Ismail Haniyeh was a Palestinian politician who served as third chairman of the Hamas Political Bureau from May 2017 until his assassination in July 2024. He also served as the prime minister of the Palestinian National Authority from March 2006 until June 2014 and the first Hamas leader in the Gaza Strip from June 2007 until February 2017, where he was s...
2023 — Angus Cloud, American actor (born 1998) ↗(3 years ago)more
Conor Angus Cloud Hickey was an American actor. He was best known for his role as Fezco in the HBO drama series Euphoria (2019–present), and had roles in the films North Hollywood (2021), The Line (2023), Abigail and The Garfield Movie. He also appeared in music videos by Noah Cyrus, Juice Wrld, Becky G, and Karol G.
2022 — Fidel V. Ramos, 12th President of the Philippines (born 1928) ↗(4 years ago)more
Fidel Valdez Ramos, popularly known as FVR and Eddie Ramos, was a Filipino general and politician who served as the 12th president of the Philippines from 1992 to 1998. He was the only career military officer to reach the rank of five-star general.
2022 — Bill Russell, NBA Hall of Fame player and coach (born 1934) ↗(4 years ago)more
William Felton Russell was an American professional basketball player who played center for the Boston Celtics of the National Basketball Association (NBA) from 1956 to 1969. He was the centerpiece of the Celtics dynasty that played for 12 NBA championships and won 11 during his 13-year career.
Numerical & calendrical curiosities
| Day-of-year (213) | 3 × 71 · composite (no) |
|---|---|
| Days remaining (153) | 3^2 × 17 |
| Date code DDMMYYYY | 31072026 · no palindrome in next 200 years |
| Sun declination | +17.91° (Cooper approximation) |
| Distance from solstice | 41 days |