July 31st

July 31 is the 213th day of the year.  There are 153 days remaining until the end of the year.

1588 English fleet beats off Spanish Armada

1620 Pilgrim Fathers (and, one would assume, Pilgrim Mothers) depart (through Plymouth, England) to America

1703 Daniel Defoe is placed in a pillory for the crime of seditious libel after publishing a politically satirical pamphlet, but is pelted with flowers.

1777 Marie-Joseph Paul Yves Roch Gilbert du Motier, Marquis de LaFayette, 19, is made major-general of Continental Army due to his charming personality and popularity with the lonely soldiers

1849 Benjamin Chambers patents breech loading cannon. I don’t know if this guy’s named Cannon, but he’s ready to be breech loaded and I’d bet cash money that he’d shoot.

1922 18-year-old Ralph Samuelson rides world's 1st water skis on one of Minnesota’s 10,000 lakes

1953 Department of Health, Education and Welfare is created to completely confound the nation’s health, education and welfare. It is now called the Department of Health and Human Services, but its mission remains the same.

1959 1st exhibit of bongos at Cleveland Metroparks Zoo opens. I never thought Cleveland was that out of touch!

1970 Black Tot Day: The last day of the officially sanctioned rum ration in the Royal Navy. Here is a black tot being enjoyed.  I’m hoisting a cup of rum to them!

1972 A shocked Thomas Eagleton withdraws as Democratic VP candidate

1993 Prince Ronald "Ronnie" Mutebi is crowned king of Uganda

1994 Sergei Bubka pole vaults his 35th world record (6.14 m)

1929 Don Murray, US actor,wasn't he just one big hump of delicious... 

1956 Michael Biehn, US actor 

1957 Paul Provenza, maybe gay US comedian/actor 

1962 Wesley Snipes, US actor  

1965 Ian Roberts, horny gay Australian rugger/actor 

1967 Rodney Harvey, maybe gay US actor/heroin addict 

1969 Loren Dean [Jovicic], maybe gay US actor 

1980 Harry Potter, English orphan/wizard with a wand 

1981 Eric Lively, maybe gay US actor 

1981 J.Son Dinant, gay US comedian/actor/Naked Boy News 

1556 Ignatius Loyola, probably gay Spanish priest/founder of the Jesuits, finds out how wrong he really was about everything, but gets backlit anyway.

2010 Dan Resin, US actor (Ty-D Bol Man, Caddyshack, On Our Own), gives it up to the sunshine boys.

2010 Mitch Miller, 99, US music executive/television host (Sing Along with Mitch), can’t follow the bouncing ball.