2020 Alaska mid-air collision
A mid-air collision in Soldotna, Alaska, United States, killed seven people, including state representative Gary Knopp.
What happened on July 31
36 events · 20 births · 20 deaths · 8 observances. From 1009 to 2026.
Standout on July 31
2020
De Havilland Canada DHC-2 Beaver
A De Havilland Canada DHC-2 Beaver and Piper PA-12 Super Cruiser collide over Soldotna, Alaska, killing all seven people on board both aircraft, including state representative Gary Knopp.
About July 31
July 31 is the 212th day of the year. These facts are computed from the calendar, not copied from anywhere.
- Day of the year
- Day 212 of 365 (213 in leap years)153 days left in the year (153 in leap years)
- Falls on
- Friday in 2026, Saturday in 2027, Monday in 2028, Tuesday in 2029, Wednesday in 2030
- Week
- ISO week 31 of 2026 · Q3
- Zodiac sign
- ♌ Leo (July 23 – August 22)
- Season
- Summer in the north · Winter in the south
- July birthstone
- Rubypassion, vitality and protection
- July birth flower
- Larkspur / Water lilypositivity, grace and an open heart
- Next occurrence
- In 277 days
- Roman numerals
- XXXI.VIIday.month — see the Roman numeral date tool
Anniversaries in 2026
- 60thLoss of MV Darlwyne1966
- 40thEvgeni Malkin1986
- 20thFidel Castro2006
- 10thChiyonofuji Mitsugu2016
- 10thSeymour Papert2016
July 31 through the years
- 10 years ago2016
- Seymour Papert · Chiyonofuji Mitsugu
- 25 years ago2001
- Nothing recorded
- 50 years ago1976
- Nothing recorded
- 100 years ago1926
- Nothing recorded
- 200 years ago1826
- Nothing recorded
Born on July 31 — ages this year
- 2003Calvin Ramsayturns 23
- 2002Will Penisiniturns 24
- 2002João Gomes (singer)turns 24
- 2000Kim Sae-ronturns 26
- 1998Rico Rodriguez (actor)turns 28
- 1997Thomas Bryantturns 29
Historical events 36
A dated happening — a battle, treaty, launch, discovery, disaster or decision — recorded on this calendar day.
De Havilland Canada DHC-2 Beaver
A De Havilland Canada DHC-2 Beaver and Piper PA-12 Super Cruiser collide over Soldotna, Alaska, killing all seven people on board both aircraft, including state representative Gary Knopp.
2014 Kaohsiung gas explosions
Gas explosions in the southern Taiwanese city of Kaohsiung kill at least 20 people and injure more than 270.
2012 India blackouts
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.
Michael Phelps
Michael Phelps breaks the record set in 1964 by Larisa Latynina for the most medals won at the Olympics.
East Coast Jets Flight 81
East Coast Jets Flight 81 crashes near Owatonna Degner Regional Airport in Owatonna, Minnesota, killing all eight people on board.
The Troubles
The Troubles: Operation Banner, the British Armed Forces' operation in Northern Ireland, ended after 38 years with a military stalemate and ceasefire.
Operation Banner
Operation Banner, the presence of the British Army in Northern Ireland, and the longest-running British Army operation ever, comes to an end.
Fidel Castro
Following intestinal surgery, Fidel Castro provisionally transferred the duties of the Cuban presidency to his brother Raúl.
Hamas
Hamas attackers detonated a bomb at the Mount Scopus campus of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, killing nine students and injuring about 100 more.
Mudflow
Three years after being hit by a mudslide, the Ten Thousand Buddhas Monastery in Hong Kong fully reopened.
Discovery Program
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.
FedEx Express Flight 14
FedEx Express Flight 14 crashes at Newark International Airport, injuring five.
China General Aviation Flight 7552
China General Aviation Flight 7552 crashes during takeoff from Nanjing Dajiaochang Airport, killing 108.
Georgia (country)
The nation of Georgia joins the United Nations.
Space Shuttle program
Space Shuttle program: Atlantis is launched on STS-46 to deploy the European Retrievable Carrier and the Tethered Satellite System.
Thai Airways International Flight 311
Thai Airways International Flight 311 crashes into a mountain north of Kathmandu, Nepal, killing all 113 people on board.
OMON
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.
Soviet Union
The United States and Soviet Union both sign the START I Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty, the first to reduce (with verification) both countries' stockpiles.
Sultan Abdul Halim ferry terminal bridge collapse
Thirty-two people are killed and 1,674 injured when a bridge at the Sultan Abdul Halim ferry terminal collapses in Butterworth, Penang, Malaysia.
Edmonton tornado
A tornado occurs in Edmonton, Alberta, killing 27 people.
The Troubles
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.
Miami Showband killings
The Troubles: Three members of a popular cabaret band and two gunmen are killed during a botched paramilitary attack in Northern Ireland.
Delta Air Lines
A Delta Air Lines jetliner, flight DL 723, crashes while landing in fog at Logan International Airport, Boston, Massachusetts, killing 89.
The Troubles
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.
Apollo program
Apollo program: The Apollo 15 astronauts become the first to ride in a lunar rover.
Rum ration
Black Tot Day: The last day of the officially sanctioned rum ration in the Royal Navy.
Loss of MV Darlwyne
The pleasure cruiser MV Darlwyne disappeared off the coast of Cornwall with the loss of all 31 people aboard.
1954 Italian expedition to K2
A team of Italian climbers became the first to reach the summit of K2, the world's second-highest mountain.
The Holocaust
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".
Private member's bill
A private senator's bill by Herbert Payne to introduce compulsory voting in Australia became law.
World War I
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.
Patrick Francis Healy
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.
Second Continental Congress
The Second Continental Congress passed a resolution commissioning the Marquis de Lafayette (pictured) as a major general in the American revolutionary forces.
Second Anglo-Dutch War
The Second Anglo-Dutch War ended with the signing of the Treaty of Breda.
Pope Sergius IV
Sergius IV became the 142nd pope, succeeding John XVIII.
Births 20
A notable person born on this day. Each links to a person page with their dates and story.
José Fernández (right-handed pitcher)
José Fernández, Cuban-American baseball player (died 2016)
Deaths 20
A notable person who died on this day.
Ismail Haniyeh
Ismail Haniyeh, Palestinian politician, political leader of Hamas (born 1962/1963)
Harold Prince
Harold Prince, Broadway producer and director, who received more Tony awards than anyone else in history (born 1928)
Chiyonofuji Mitsugu
Chiyonofuji Mitsugu, Japanese sumo wrestler, the 58th Yokozuna (born 1955)
Richard Schweiker
Richard Schweiker, American soldier and politician, 14th United States Secretary of Health and Human Services (born 1926)
Holidays & observances 8
A holiday, feast day, awareness day or national day observed every year on this date.
Abanoub
Christian feast day: Abanoub
Beatification
Christian feast day: Blessed Cecília Schelingová
Germanus of Auxerre
Christian feast day: Germanus of Auxerre
Giustino de Jacobis
Christian feast day: Giustino de Jacobis
Ignatius of Loyola
Christian feast day: Ignatius of Loyola
Solanus Casey
Christian feast day: Blessed Solanus Casey
Helena of Skövde
Christian feast day: Helena of Skövde
Saint Fabius
Christian feast day: Fabius
Spread across the centuries
- 11th century1
- 17th century1
- 18th century1
- 19th century1
- 20th century39
- 21st century33
Earliest: Pope Sergius IV (1009). Most recent: Franco Baresi (2026).
What the categories mean, and how the standout is chosen
- Historical events
- A dated happening — a battle, treaty, launch, discovery, disaster or decision — recorded on this calendar day.
- Births
- A notable person born on this day. Each links to a person page with their dates and story.
- Deaths
- A notable person who died on this day.
- Milestones
- A first, a founding or a turning point our editors flagged as a landmark moment.
- Holidays & observances
- A holiday, feast day, awareness day or national day observed every year on this date.
- Standout / notable
- Editor-written entries come first, then entries covered by the most Wikipedia language editions. For the standout tile we prefer an entry that has a picture.
Nearby and related
Questions about July 31
What day of the year is July 31?
July 31 is the 212th day of the year, with 153 days left after it.
What star sign is July 31?
July 31 falls under Leo (July 23 – August 22), a fire sign ruled by Sun. The birthstone for the month is Ruby.
How many things happened on July 31?
We record 84 entries for July 31: 36 events · 20 births · 20 deaths · 8 observances. From 1009 to 2026.
Who was born on July 31?
Calvin Ramsay (2003) is among the notable births on July 31. The births section lists the rest.
How often is the July 31 page updated?
The day is filled the first time anyone opens it and then re-checked for new entries about every 90 days. Computed facts such as the weekday and the anniversaries update every year.
Get a daily entry like July 31
One short email a day from this calendar. Kept for this site only.
Text adapted from Wikipedia under CC BY-SA 4.0 and from Wikidata (CC0). Images come from Wikimedia Commons; credit and licence are shown with each image. Editorial entries are © What's On This Date. Sources & licensing · How this site works.