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), Milton Friedman 1912 - Economist, William S. "Bill" Todman 1916 - Television producer



Gary Lewis 1946 - Musician (Gary Lewis and the Playboys), J.K. Rowling 1965 - Author ("Harry Potter" series), 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.


1792 - The cornerstone of the U.S. Mint in Philadelphia, PA, was laid. It was the first building to be used only as a U.S. government building.


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


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 - A pro-Iranian group in Lebanon released a videotape reportedly showing the hanged body of American hostage William R. Higgins.


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.