History for July 31

History for July 31 - On-This-Day.com:
S.S. Kresge 1867 - Founder of S.S. Kresge Company (renamed Kmart Corporation in 1977 and later Sears Holding Corporation), George Liberace 1911 - Musician and television performer, older brother of entertainer Liberace, Milton Friedman 1912 - Economist


J.K. Rowling 1965 - Author ("Harry Potter" series), Dean Cain 1966 - Actor (TV: "Lois & Clark"), Zac Brown 1978 - Country music singer and musician
 

1790 - The first U.S. patent was issued to Samuel Hopkins for his process for making potash and pearl ashes. The substance was used in fertilizer.


1919 - Germany's Weimar Constitution was adopted.

1928 - MGM’s Leo the lion roared for the first time. He introduced MGM’s first talking picture, "White Shadows on the South Seas."


1945 - Pierre Laval of France surrendered to Americans in Austria.

1948 - U.S. President Truman helped dedicate New York International Airport (later John F. Kennedy International Airport) at Idlewild Field.


1971 - Men rode in a vehicle on the moon for the first time in a lunar rover vehicle (LRV).


1989 - The Game Boy handheld video game device was released in the U.S.


1991 - U.S. President George H.W. Bush and Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev signed the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty.