Today is Wednesday, July 31st: the 213th day of the year according to the Gregorian calendar. The year will end in 153 days.
The sun will rise at 4:34 Moscow time, and at 20:39 it will go below the horizon. At 12:37 the luminary will be at its zenith.
Daylight hours will last 16 hours 5 minutes, and darkness will last 7 hours 55 minutes.
Church holidays
Week 6 after Pentecost. Fast day. Commemoration day of the Martyr Emilian of Dorostol and the Martyr Hyacinth of Amastris.
Name days: Apollinaris, Athanasius, John, Leonty, Stefan.
Secular holidays
On July 31, the world celebrates an interesting cultural holiday – Unusual Musical Instruments Day. Also today is African Women's Day.
The Dominican Republic celebrates Father's Day today, while Iran marks National Blood Donor Day.
Events of July 31
In 1944, the French writer and reconnaissance pilot Antoine de Saint-Exupéry died.
In 1954, the USSR government decided to create a nuclear weapons testing site on the Novaya Zemlya archipelago.
In 1956, the Luzhniki stadium was opened.
In 1957, the USSR made a decision to begin mass construction of houses, which later became known as Khrushchev-era buildings.
In 2002, a 5,000 ruble banknote was introduced into circulation in Russia.
In 2008, NASA announced the discovery of water on Mars.
Who was born on July 31st
In 1914, French actor Louis de Funes was born.
In 1930, People's Artist of the USSR, circus artist Oleg Popov was born.
In 1937, People's Artist of the USSR, singer Edita Piekha was born.
In 1945, TV presenter Leonid Yakubovich was born.
In 1965, writer Joanne Rowling, who created Harry Potter, was born.
In 1989, Belarusian tennis player and former world number one Victoria Azarenka was born.
Folk omens
A warm and sunny day foretells pleasant weather in autumn. If it rains, then autumn is expected to be damp and cold.
The heat on Omelyan's Day promises severe frosts in December.
It will be early autumn if the leaves on the birch trees have already started to turn yellow.
If loud and continuous rumbles of thunder are heard, then there will be heavy rain or even hail.
