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ON THIS DAY

On This Day: July 31

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On July 31, 1964, the American space probe Ranger 7 transmitted pictures of the moon's surface.

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On July 31, 1919, Primo Levi, the Italian writer and chemist whose work was influenced by his captivity at Auschwitz, was born. Following his death on April 11, 1987, his obituary appeared in The Times.

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On This Date

1777	The Marquis de Lafayette, a 19-year-old French nobleman, was made a major-general in the American Continental Army.
1875	Andrew Johnson, the 17th president of the United States, died in Carter Station, Tenn., at age 66.
1914	The New York Stock Exchange closed due to the outbreak of World War I. (Trading didn't resume until December.)
1919	Germany's Weimar Constitution was adopted.
1972	Democratic vice-presidential candidate Thomas Eagleton withdrew from the ticket with George McGovern following disclosures that Eagleton had once undergone psychiatric treatment.
1977	The "Son of Sam" killer claimed his last victims when he shot and killed Stacy Moskowitz, 20, and seriously wounded her date as they sat in a parked car in Brooklyn, N.Y. (David Berkowitz was arrested less than two weeks later. He is serving six sentences of 25 years to life.)
1981	A seven-week strike by major league baseball players ended.
1990	Nolan Ryan became the 20th major league pitcher to win 300 games as his Texas Rangers beat the Milwaukee Brewers 11-3.
1995	Walt Disney Co. agreed to acquire Capital Cities-ABC Inc. in a $19 billion deal.
2007	The U.N. Security Council unanimously approved a 26,000-strong peacekeeping force for Sudan's Darfur region.
2008	Scientists reported the Phoenix spacecraft had confirmed the presence of frozen water in Martian soil.
2009	Three American tourists were arrested by Iran on suspicion of espionage during what their families have said was a simple hiking trip along the Iraq-Iran border. (One was released on bail, the others remain in Iranian custody.)

Current Birthdays

Author J.K. Rowling ("Harry Potter" books) turns 46 years old today.

AP Photo/Joel Ryan

Dallas Cowboys linebacker DeMarcus Ware turns 29 years old today.

AP Photo/Sharon Ellman

1919	Robert Morgenthau, Former Manhattan district attorney, turns 92
1944	Geraldine Chaplin, Actress, turns 67
1945	William Weld, Former Massachusetts governor, turns 66
1951	Evonne Goolagong Cawley, Tennis Hall of Famer, turns 60
1956	Deval Patrick, Governor of Massachusetts, turns 55
1958	Bill Berry, Rock musician (R.E.M.), turns 53
1962	Wesley Snipes, Actor, turns 49
1963	Fatboy Slim, Rock musician, turns 48
1975	Annie Parisse, Actress ("Law and Order"), turns 36
1978	Zac Brown, Country singer, musician, turns 33
1979	B.J. Novak, Actor, writer ("The Office"), turns 32

Historic Birthdays

Primo Levi7/31/1919 - 4/11/1987Italian-Jewish writer and chemist.Go to obituary »

59	Augustus 7/31/1526 - 2/12/1586 Elector of Saxony & leader of Protestant Germany
62	George Baxter 7/31/1804 - 1/11/1867 English engraver and printer
79	Jane Currie Hoge 7/31/1811 - 8/26/1890 American welfare worker & fundraiser for the Union
80	Abram Stevens Hewitt 7/31/1822 - 1/18/1903 American industrialist & philanthropist who became mayor of N. Y. C.
76	Henri Brisson 7/31/1835 - 4/11/1912 French statesman who was twice premier of France
77	Richard Dixon Oldham 7/31/1858 - 7/15/1936 English geologist who discovered evidence of the Earth's Core
99	S. S. Kresge 7/31/1867 - 10/18/1966 American merchant who started a chain of 1,000 variety stores
87	Jacques Villon 7/31/1875 - 6/9/1963 French painter and printmaker & brother of Marcel Duchamp
70	Elmo Roper 7/31/1900 - 4/30/1971 American who developed political forecasting by polls
49	Whitney Young 7/31/1921 - 3/11/1971 American civil rights leader & head of the National Urban League