July 31st

Battle of Alexandria: Mark Antony achieves minor victory over Octavian, but most of his army subsequently deserts, leading to Octavian's invasion of Egypt.

President Barack Obama and congressional leaders announced a historic agreement on emergency legislation to avert the nation's first-ever financial default.

Scientists reported the Phoenix spacecraft had confirmed the presence of frozen water in Martian soil.

Operation Banner, the presence of the British Army in Northern Ireland, and longest-running British Army operation ever, comes to an end.

The British government bans landmines. The move came after the public pressurized the parliament to pass the Landmines Act.

Walt Disney Co. agreed to acquire Capital Cities-ABC Inc. in a $19 billion deal.

Thai Airways International Flight 311 crashes while approaching Tribhuvan International Airport in Kathmandu, Nepal. All 113 people onboard were killed in the crash.

US and USSR sign Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty. The treaty, also known as START I, limited the number of nuclear weapons and missiles the signatories could deploy. It came into force in December 1994, and expired 15 years later in 2009.

Nolan Ryan became the 20th major league pitcher to win 300 games as his Texas Rangers beat the Milwaukee Brewers 11-3.

First female president of the US National Bar Association is appointed. Arnette R. Hubbard became the first woman to preside over the US National Bar Association, the country's largest group of association of African-American lawyers and judges.

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.).

Democratic vice-presidential candidate Thomas Eagleton withdrew from the ticket with George McGovern following disclosures that Eagleton had once undergone psychiatric treatment.

The U.S. space probe Ranger 7 transmitted pictures of the Moon’s surface.

Israel welcomes its 1,000,000th immigrant.

Mount Godwin-Austen (K2), the world's second-highest peak, was climbed for the first time, by an Italian team led by Ardito Desio.

Politburo enables Operative Order 00447: execute 193,000 Russians.

Germany's Weimar Constitution was adopted.

Third Battle of Ypres begins. Also known as the Battle of Passchendaele, the battle was part of World War I and took place between July 31 and November 6 for control of the Belgian city of Ypres.

The New York Stock Exchange closed due to the outbreak of World War I. (Trading didn't resume until December.).

Andrew Johnson, the 17th president of the United States, died in Carter Station, Tenn., at age 66.

The first U.S. patent was issued to Samuel Hopkins of Vermont for a process of making fertilizer.

The Marquis de Lafayette, a 19-year-old French nobleman, was made a major-general in the American Continental Army.

Pilgrim Fathers depart Leiden for England before heading to America.

Columbus arrived at the island of Trinidad.