On this day, July 31
1777 During the Revolutionary War, the Marquis de Lafayette, a 19- year- old French nobleman, was made a major general in the American Continental Army.
1888 Under the name Pittsburgh Reduction Co ., the first aluminum-producing company was organized at the Pittsburgh home of Capt. Alfred E. Hunt by five men, all under age 35. They were Capt. Hunt, a military figure; Charles Martin Hall, developer of the new metal; Romaine C. Cole; George H. Clapp; and Howard Lash.
1954 Two members of an Italian mountain- climbing expedition, Achille Compagnoni and Lino Lacedelli, reached the summit of K2 in Pakistan.
1998 Allegheny County District Attorney Stephen A. Zappala Jr. brought to a close the Jonny Gammage case. The district attorney’s office decided not to appeal a judge’s decision dismissing involuntary manslaughter charges against two police officers involved in the traffic stop that led to Mr. Gammage’s death. 2018 Jury selection began in the trial of Paul Manafort, President Donald Trump’s former campaign chairman who was accused of failing to report tens of millions of dollars he received in Ukrainian political consulting fees. Manafort was sentenced to a total of 7 ½ years in prison after being convicted at trial in Virginia and pleading guilty in Washington, D. C ., to two conspiracy counts. Some items are from Stefan Lorant’s “Pittsburgh: The Story of an American City” ( digital. library. pitt. edu/ chronology).
— Compiled by Rick Nowlin Today’s birthdays: Actor Don Murray, 90. Singer Gary Lewis, 74. Actor Lane Davies ,69. Entrepreneur Mark Cuban ,61. Actor Wesley Snipes ,57. Musician Fat boy Slim ,56. Author J. K. Rowling, 54. Actor Dean Cain, 53. Retired NFL quarterback and native of Ford City, Armstrong County, Gus Frerotte, 48. Country singer- musician Zac Brown, 41. Penguins center Evgeni Malkin, 33. Actor Rico Rodriguez, 21.
Thought for today: “The art of life, to show your hand. There, no diplomacy like candor. You may lose by it now and then, but it will be a loss well gained if you do. Nothing, so boring as having to keep up a deception.”