This Day In History, July 31st.
Five Historical Events That Happened on July 31st
Christopher Columbus landed on the island of Trinidad in 1498 on his third voyage to the New World.
In 1703, Daniel Defoe is imprisoned in London for seditious libel for writing a satirical pamphlet mocking the High Church Tories.
The Battle of Passchendaele (also known as the Third Battle of Ypres) began during World War I, with British and Canadian soldiers attacking German defenses in Belgium.
Despite the fact that Harry S. Truman had won the presidential election the day before, the Chicago Daily Tribune headlines "Dewey Defeats Truman" on its front page on November 15, 1948.
Apollo 15, the fourth manned mission to land on the Moon, returns to Earth after a successful 12-day mission.
1498: Christopher Columbus lands on the island of Trinidad during his third voyage to the New World.
Christopher Columbus landed on the island of Trinidad on July 31, 1498, on his third trip to the New World. Trinidad was Columbus' first discovery in the Caribbean that was unknown to Europeans, and he dubbed it "La Isla de la Trinidad" (The Island of the Trinity) in honor of the Holy Trinity. Columbus spent a few days at Trinidad before moving on to explore the surrounding South American coast. During this journey, Columbus also discovered the mouth of the Orinoco River, which he mistook for another strait heading to Asia but later revealed to be a significant river system in South America.
1703: Daniel Defoe is placed in a pillory in London for seditious libel, as punishment for writing a satirical pamphlet attacking the High Church Tories.
On July 31, 1703, Daniel Defoe was imprisoned in a pillory as punishment for authoring a satirical pamphlet titled "The Shortest-Way with the Dissenters." The booklet condemned the High Church Tories and their policies against non-Anglican Protestants, but its satirical tone was misinterpreted as a demand for violence against Dissenters by the authorities. Defoe was fined, condemned to three prison terms, and stood in the pillory twice, including on July 31st. The incident almost certainly influenced Defoe's later work, particularly his renowned novel "Robinson Crusoe."
1917: The Battle of Passchendaele (also known as the Third Battle of Ypres) begins during World War I, with British and Canadian troops attacking German positions in Belgium.
During World War I, the Battle of Passchendaele (also known as the Third Battle of Ypres) commenced on July 31, 1917. British and Canadian forces launched an onslaught against German fortifications in the Belgian hamlet of Passchendaele. The fight was fought in a mud created by heavy rain and persistent artillery bombardments. By the end of the three-month conflict, an estimated 325,000 Allied and 260,000 German men had been killed, injured, or gone missing. Despite the great cost, the Allies finally captured Passchendaele and drove the Germans out. The fight, however, has subsequently been widely regarded as an expensive and needless effort that achieved nothing to alter the direction of the war.
1948: The Chicago Daily Tribune publishes the headline "Dewey Defeats Truman" on its front page, despite the fact that Harry S. Truman had actually won the presidential election the day before.
The Chicago Daily Tribune ran the now-famous headline "Dewey Defeats Truman" on its front page on November 3, 1948, the day after the United States presidential election. The title was based on early election returns and exit surveys that showed Republican nominee Thomas E. Dewey ahead of incumbent President Harry S. Truman, a Democrat. As additional ballots were tabulated, it became evident that Truman had won the election with 303 electoral votes to Dewey's 189. Truman famously posed for a portrait while holding a copy of the Tribune with the incorrect headline, and the episode has since come to represent the fallibility of early polls and the need for care in projecting election outcomes.
1971: Apollo 15, the fourth manned mission to land on the Moon, returns to Earth after a successful 12-day mission.
Apollo 15, the fourth human mission to land on the Moon, successfully returned to Earth on August 7, 1971. Commander David R. Scott, Command Module Pilot Alfred M. Worden, and Lunar Module Pilot James B. Irwin made up the crew. Scott and Irwin performed three moonwalks and drove a lunar rover over 17 miles across the lunar surface, gathering samples and performing experiments. Worden continued in lunar orbit, performing scientific studies and taking photographs. The mission was notable for its scientific concentration and the use of the first lunar rover, which substantially expanded the astronauts' exploring range and efficiency. The Apollo 15 command module splashed down in the Pacific Ocean and was retrieved by the USS Okinawa.