Holidays, Celebrations on

July 31st might not be widely recognized globally as a day of major festivities, yet it is marked by a variety of holidays and celebrations that cater to diverse interests and causes. This day offers something special for many groups of people worldwide.

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Birthday cake for Harry from Hagrid

Harry Potter’s Birthday

#Books#Fun#Movies

Marking the birth of J.K. Rowling's iconic Wizarding World character, Harry Potter.

Side view lifeguard holding lifesaving buoy

International Lifeguard Appreciation Day

#Safety#People

Honoring and expressing gratitude towards lifeguards worldwide.

Three avocados, two on the table and one split on a plate

National Avocado Day

#Food

Appreciating the nutritional goodness and versatile culinary applications of avocados.

Park ranger analyzing a tree in the forest

World Ranger Day

#People

Honoring park rangers worldwide who protect natural and cultural treasures.

Interesting Facts of July 31st

  1. 1. Apollo 15 astronauts David Scott and James Irwin became the first to ride in a lunar rover, a battery-powered vehicle known as the Lunar Roving Vehicle (LRV) which they used to explore the surface of the Moon on July 31, 1971.
  2. 2. Ranger 7 transmitted the first close-up photographs of the moon's surface on July 31, 1964, including pictures of the Sea of Clouds and the area now known as the Apollo 11 landing site.
  3. 3. The United States and Soviet Union signed the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START I) on July 31, 1991. This agreement was a significant step in the reduction of the two superpowers' nuclear arsenals.
  4. 4. Fidel Castro handed over power temporarily to his brother Raúl Castro on July 31, 2006. This transfer marked the first time since the Cuban Revolution that someone other than Fidel was at the helm of Cuban government, leading to his eventual permanent transfer of power.
  5. 5. The first U.S. patent was issued on July 31, 1790 to Samuel Hopkins for an improvement "in the making of Pot ash and Pearl ash by a new Apparatus and Process." This marked the beginning of the U.S. Patent system.