Famous people born on July 31st
July 31 brings together an unusually wide-ranging group of innovators and public voices, spanning economics, literature, politics, science, and the arts. The date features influential thinkers who reshaped how people debate markets and morality, alongside storytellers who defined modern popular culture. From civil rights leadership to award-winning research, these birthdays reflect a blend of imagination, rigor, and civic impact.
Notable highlights
- J. K. Rowling (1965) - Created the Harry Potter series, a publishing phenomenon that sparked a global multimedia franchise and revived interest in young-adult fantasy.
- Milton Friedman (1912) - Nobel-winning economist whose arguments for monetarism and free markets deeply influenced late-20th-century economic policy debates.
- Mark Cuban (1958) - Entrepreneur and investor known for tech-era business moves and high-profile ownership in professional sports.
- Whitney M. Young (1921) - Civil rights leader who expanded the National Urban League and pushed corporate America to take racial equality more seriously.
- Primo Levi (1919) - Chemist and writer whose memoir "If This Is a Man" became one of the most important firsthand accounts of the Holocaust.
- Peter Benenson (1921) - Founded Amnesty International, helping popularize the modern human-rights movement through prisoner-of-conscience campaigns.
- Deval Patrick (1956) - Governor of Massachusetts who built a national profile around progressive governance and civic engagement.
- Paul D. Boyer (1918) - Nobel laureate in Chemistry recognized for explaining key mechanisms behind ATP synthase and how cells produce energy.
- Jean Dubuffet (1901) - Pioneering artist who championed "art brut", elevating raw, outsider aesthetics as a serious artistic tradition.
- Hilary Putnam (1926) - Major philosopher whose work in logic, philosophy of mind, and meaning reshaped analytic philosophy debates.
On this day
- 1492 - The last Jewish communities are expelled from Spain as the Alhambra Decree takes full effect.
- 1919 - Germany adopts the Weimar Constitution, formalizing the Weimar Republic after World War I.
- 1948 - At the London Olympics, Fanny Blankers-Koen wins the women's 100 meters, a signature moment in her four-gold Games.
- 1971 - Apollo 15 astronauts drive the first Lunar Roving Vehicle on the Moon, expanding the range of lunar exploration.