All Events

Historical Events on July 31

  • The Battle of Passchendaele

    1917

    World War I: The Battle of Passchendaele begins near Ypres in West Flanders, Belgium.

  • Bulgaria

    1938

    Bulgaria signs a non-aggression pact with Greece and other states of Balkan Antanti (Turkey, Romania, Yugoslavia).

  • Darius I

    1938

    Archaeologists discover engraved gold and silver plates from King Darius the Great in Persepolis.

  • Final Solution

    1941

    The Holocaust: Under instructions from Adolf Hitler, Nazi official Hermann Göring, orders SS General Reinhard Heydrich to "submit to me as soon as possible a general plan of the administrative material and financial measures necessary for carrying out the desired Final Solution of the Jewish question."

  • Apollo 15

    1971

    Apollo program: Apollo 15 astronauts become the first to ride in a lunar rover.

  • START I

    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.

  • Georgia (country)

    1992

    The nation of Georgia joins the United Nations.

  • Fidel Castro

    2006

    Fidel Castro hands over power to his brother, Raúl.

  • Michael Phelps

    2012

    Michael Phelps breaks the record set in 1964 by Larisa Latynina for the most medals won at the Olympics.