This Day That Year

July 31

in History

Antony's Last Stand — A general wins a battle but loses everything
Octavian_and_Antony_denarius_%28obverse%29.jpg - Wikimedia Commons
Alexandria, EgyptAncient
30

Antony's Last Stand

A general wins a battle but loses everything

In the shadow of Alexandria's great lighthouse, Mark Antony achieved a minor tactical victory over the forces of Octavian. But it was a hollow triumph. As day turned to night, most of Antony's remaining forces deserted to Octavian's side, leaving the once-mighty general isolated and defeated. With no army left to command, Antony took his own life, ending the Republic's last civil war.

30 BC
Jean Dubuffet Was Born — He found beauty where no one else looked
Paolo_Monti_-_Servizio_fotografico_%28Italia%2C_1960%29_-_BEIC_6341424.jpg - Wikimedia Commons
Le Havre, FranceEarly 20th Century
1901

Jean Dubuffet Was Born

He found beauty where no one else looked

In Le Havre, France, Jean Dubuffet was born into a prosperous merchant family. He would reject conventional artistic training to become the founder of Art Brut, a movement celebrating raw, untrained artistic expression. His deliberately crude, childlike paintings and sculptures challenged every standard of beauty in the art world, democratizing creativity for everyone.

1901 AD
Ranger program — Ranger program: Ranger 7 sends back the first close-up photographs of the moon, with images 1,000 times clearer than.
1280px-Ranger_6789.svg.png - Wikimedia Commons
Late 20th Century
1964

Ranger program

Ranger program: Ranger 7 sends back the first close-up photographs of the moon, with images 1,000 times clearer than.

Ranger program: Ranger 7 sends back the first close-up photographs of the moon, with images 1,000 times clearer than anything ever seen from earth-bound telescopes.

1964 AD