Today in History, July 31st:

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Highlights of this day in history: Ranger 7 beams lunar pictures; France’s Marquis de Lafayette makes his name in the American Revolution; Thomas Eagleton withdraws as George McGovern’s running mate; Harry Potter author J.K. Rowling born.

Other notable July 31st events include:

1498 – On his third voyage to the Western Hemisphere, Christopher Columbus becomes the first European to discover the island of Trinidad.

1588 – The Spanish Armada is spotted off the coast of England.

1930 – The radio mystery program The Shadow is aired for the first time.

1948 – At Idlewild Field in New York, New York International Airport (later renamed John F. Kennedy International Airport) is dedicated.

1951 – Japan Airlines is established.

1961 – At Fenway Park in Boston, Massachusetts, the first All-Star Game tie in major league baseball history occurs when the game is stopped in the 9th inning because of rain.

1971 – Apollo program: Apollo 15 astronauts become the first to ride in a lunar rover.

1972 – Northeast Airlines flies its last flight before being integrated into Delta Air Lines the next day.

1981 – 42-day strike of Major League Baseball ends in the United States.