At A Glance

31 July 1948 at a glance

Day of the week
31 July 1948 was a Saturday.
Top Film of 1948
The highest-grossing film worldwide released in 1948 was Easter Parade.
Bestselling Novel of 1948
“The Big Fisherman” by Lloyd C. Douglas was No. 1 on Publishers Weekly's US fiction list for 1948.
Star sign
The star sign for 31 July is Leo.
Chinese zodiac
In the Chinese zodiac, 31 July 1948 fell in the Year of the Rat.
Birthstone
The birthstone for July is Ruby.
Moon phase
The moon phase on 31 July 1948 was Waning Crescent.

On this day: 31 July

  • 1938 Bulgaria signs a non-aggression pact with Greece and other states of Balkan Antanti (Turkey, Romania, Yugoslavia).
  • 1941 The Holocaust: Under instructions from Adolf Hitler, Nazi official Hermann Göring orders SS General Reinhard Heydrich to "submit to me as soon as possible a general plan of the administrative material and financial measures necessary for carrying out the desired Final Solution of the Jewish question."
  • 1941 World War II: The Battle of Smolensk concludes with Germany capturing about 300,000 Soviet Red Army prisoners.
  • 1945 Pierre Laval, the fugitive former leader of Vichy France, surrenders to Allied soldiers in Austria.
  • 1948 At Idlewild Field in New York, New York International Airport (later renamed John F. Kennedy International Airport) is dedicated.

Famous people born on July 31

  • J. K. Rowling, English author and film producer (born 1965)
  • Mark Cuban, American businessman and television personality (born 1958)
  • Emilia Fox, English actress (born 1974)
  • Wesley Snipes, American actor and producer (born 1962)

Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)

Choose your country: the charts, news and leaders change to match.

Events of 1948 in the United States

A selection from Wikipedia's '1948 in the United States'. Not a complete list.

  • February 21 – The stock car racing organization NASCAR is founded by Bill France Sr. with other drivers meeting at the Streamline Hotel, Daytona Beach, Florida.
  • March 17 – The Hells Angels motorcycle gang is founded in California.
  • April 3 – President Harry S. Truman signs the Marshall Plan, which authorizes $15 billion in aid for 16 countries.

Life in the US in 1948

President

Harry S. Truman

Gas (per gallon)

$0.26

Loaf of Bread

$0.14

Average House

$5,450

Weekly Wage

$50

Or

Browse by Year

Famous Faces Born in the 1940s

Well-known people born in the same decade as you, not on your birthday.

Sources: Wikidata and Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)

About The Day You Were Born

Ever wondered what was happening in the world when you took your first breath? Our birthday lookup tool reveals the fascinating history of your special day.

About The Birthday Chronicle and where our data comes from →