July 31st
Today in America's Present Past
1620 | Mayflower Pilgrims depart Leiden, Netherlands, for England on their way to America.
1763 | Lawyer James Kent was born.
1777 | War of Independence: Marquis de Lafayette is promoted to major-general of the Continental Army.
1803 | Entrepreneur and inventor John Ericcison was born.
1816 | Entrepreneur Lydia Moss Bradley was born.
1826 | Botanist William S. Clark was born.
1854 | Entrepreneur Samuel Wilson (possibly the inspiration for Uncle Sam) died.
1860 | Artist Mary Vaux Walcott was born.
1867 | Entrepreneur Sebastian S. Kresge was born.
1871 | Poet Phoebe Cary died.
1875 | POTUS: President Andrew Johnson died.
1876 | The Coast Guard officers' training school was established at New Bedford, Massachusetts.
1912 | Economist Milton Friedman was born.
1918 | Biochemist Paul D. Boyer was born.
1919 | Civil Rights: “Red Summer race riots” in Bloomington, Illinois, Syracuse, New York, & Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
1920 | Cleric James Esdras Faust was born.
1935 | Journalist Mort Crim was born.
1937 | Entrepreneur and inventor Charles Hires died.
1943 | Educator, author, and politician William Bennett was born.
1953 | Politician Robert A. Taft died.
1958 | Entrepreneur Mark Cuban was born.
1962 | Actor Wesley Snipes was born.
1966 | Actor Dean Cain was born in Mt. Clemens, Michigan.
1967 | Civil Rights: Long hot summer of riots continues in West Palm Beach, Florida.
1967 | Author Elizabeth Wurtzel was born.
1971 | Guitarist John Lowery was born in Grosse Pointe, Michigan.
1973 | Model Chandra North was born.
1978 | Musician Zac Brown was born.
1979 | Actor, author, and director B. J. Novak was born.
1984 | Actor Bill Raisch died.
1988 | The Last Playboy club in the U.S. closes in Lansing, Michigan.
1991 | Congress: Senate votes to allow women to fly combat aircraft.
1992 | Auto racer Kyle Larson was born.
2018 | SCOTUS: Justice Anthony Kennedy retired.
2019 | War on Terror: Terrorist Osama Bin Laden's son, Hamza bin Laden, was killed.
2022 | Basketball Pro Bill Russell died.