In History, Today on July 31

NASA's Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) discovers its first Earth-sized planet in the habitable zone of its star, named GJ 357 d.

The United Nations Security Council endorses the Iran nuclear deal, formally known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action.

Michael Phelps becomes the most decorated Olympian of all time, winning his 19th Olympic medal at the London 2012 Games.

The Wikileaks 'Collateral Murder' video leak shot in Baghdad in 2007 is uploaded to WikiLeaks' website, revealing a U.S. military helicopter attack that killed a number of people including two Reuters journalists.

NASA confirms that its Phoenix Mars Lander has discovered water ice on Mars, a pivotal finding in the quest to determine the potential for life on the planet.

Operation Banner, the British Army's longest continuous operation, officially ends in Northern Ireland after 38 years.

Fidel Castro temporarily hands over power to his brother Raúl Castro due to health issues.

The Sarbanes-Oxley Act, aimed at improving corporate governance and accountability, is signed into law by U.S. President George W. Bush.

The United States and Poland sign a missile defense cooperation agreement in Washington, D.C., aimed at enhancing their mutual defense capabilities through the deployment of missile systems.

Thailand's King Bhumibol Adulyadej signed a new constitution, marking a significant step towards democratic reform in the country.

The United States and the Soviet Union signed the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START I), a landmark arms control agreement.

Apollo 15 astronauts David Scott and James Irwin became the first to ride in a lunar rover on the Moon.

Black Tot Day: The British Royal Navy issued the last daily rum ration to sailors, ending a 300-year-old tradition.

J. K. Rowling, a British author best known for writing the Harry Potter series, was born.

NASA's Ranger 7 spacecraft transmitted the first close-up photographs of the Moon's surface, marking a significant achievement in space exploration.

The cricket match between England and Australia at Headingley in Leeds ended in a significant win for Australia, who secured the Ashes series.

Plymouth and other locations in Devon, England, experienced a devastating fog, leading to the crash of a B-24 Liberator bomber, resulting in the deaths of 23 military personnel.

Hermann Göring instructed Reinhard Heydrich to prepare a plan for the 'Final Solution to the Jewish Question,' marking a significant step in the Holocaust.

The Nazi Party becomes the largest party in the German parliament after winning 230 seats in the Reichstag elections.

The Third Battle of Ypres, also known as the Battle of Passchendaele, began during World War I, resulting in heavy casualties and a prolonged stalemate.

The United States government, recognizing the urgency of addressing multiple concerns over irrigating arid lands, distributing water rights, and supporting growing agricultural demands, established the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation.

The Battle of the Big Hole, part of the Nez Perce War, took place as a series of engagements between the Nez Perce Native Americans and the United States Army in western Montana Territory.

Slavery in the British Empire was officially abolished with the Slavery Abolition Act 1833 coming into effect. While the Act ended slavery in most British territories, it provided for an apprenticeship system for former slaves, which required them to continue working for their former masters for a period before gaining full freedom.

The immigrant ship HMS Chapman, transporting passengers from Cork, Ireland, arrived at Quebec City, Canada. This was a part of the broader wave of immigration to North America during the early 19th century, influenced by factors such as economic hardship and occasionally the promise of land or religious freedom.

The first U.S. patent was issued to Samuel Hopkins for a process of making potash, an ingredient used in fertilizer.

The Battle of Bloody Run took place during Pontiac's War, where British forces were ambushed by Native American warriors.

Daniel Defoe, the English writer, was placed in a pillory for seditious libel after publishing a pamphlet criticizing the government.

Aurangzeb was proclaimed the Mughal Emperor of India, marking the beginning of his reign.

The Spanish Armada was sighted off the coast of England, leading to the Battle of Gravelines, where the English navy defeated the Spanish fleet.

On July 31, 1498, Christopher Columbus, on his third voyage, became the first European to discover the island of Trinidad.

Peter I, King of Cyprus, began planning what became known as the Alexandrian Crusade, an expedition against the Muslim city of Alexandria in Egypt. This event was part of the later crusades, reflecting the ongoing religious conflicts and the ambitions of European rulers to assert influence in the Mediterranean.

The Sack of Thessalonica occurred when Saracen pirates led by Leo of Tripoli captured the city of Thessalonica, the second-largest city of the Byzantine Empire, after a short siege. The city was plundered, and a large number of inhabitants were taken as slaves.

The oldest recorded eruption of Mount Fuji occurs.

Pope Sixtus III begins his papacy.