Once Upon A Time – July 31 – 1620 – Pilgrim Fathers Depart Leiden, Netherlands For England Onward America

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

1620 Pilgrim Fathers depart Leiden, Netherlands for England on their way to America

1917 World War I: Battle of Passchendaele (Third Battle of Ypres) begins, goes on to cause approximately 500,000 casualties

1961 Israel welcomes its one millionth immigrant

2007 Operation Banner, the presence of the British Army in Northern Ireland comes to an end, longest-running British Army operation ever

Historical Events Today Events in 2023

Today in Film & TV

1912 US government prohibits movies and photos of prize fights (censorship)

Today in Music

1959 Cliff Richard and the Shadows have their 1st British No. 1 single with “Living’ Doll” (biggest British single of 1959)

Today in Sport

1928 Halina Konopacka of Poland hurls discus world record 39.62m to win first gold medal in women’s Olympic athletics at the Amsterdam Games; American Lillian Copeland and Ruth Sveberg of Sweden take minor medals

1970 Black Tot Day: the last day of the officially sanctioned rum ration in the Royal Navy (started 1740)

1703 Daniel Defoe is placed in a pillory for the crime of seditious libel after publishing a politically satirical pamphlet, but is pelted with flowers

Famous Weddings

1790 Danish Crown Prince Frederick (Later Frederick VI) marries his cousin Marie Sophie of Hesse-Kassel at Gottorp Castle

1940 Actress Loretta Young (27) weds advertising executive Tom Lewis at the chapel of St. Paul’s Church in Westwood

1951 American musician Ray Charles (20) weds Eileen Williams in Georgia; divorce in 1952

A world record was set up on this day when Graham Gooch, captain of England, stepped up to the crease at Lord’s, the legendary home of cricket – July 31, 1990