So you want to have a drink but you aren't sure why? Here are some GREAT reasons to call your friends over and have a party.

July 24th


- Christian Feast Day:
- Pioneer Day (Utah) and its related observances:
Stirling Settler Days (Stirling, Alberta)
- Simón Bolívar Day (Ecuador, Venezuela, Colombia, and Bolivia)

July 24th


- 2005 - Lance Armstrong wins his seventh consecutive Tour de France.
- 2002 - Democrat James Traficant is expelled from the United States House of Representatives on a vote of 420 to 1.
- 2001 - Simeon Saxe-Coburg-Gotha, the last Tsar of Bulgaria when he was a child, is sworn in as Prime Minister of Bulgaria, becoming the first monarch in history to regain political power through democratic election to a different office.
- 2001 - Bandaranaike Airport attack is carried out by 14 Tamil Tiger commandos, all died in this attack. They destroyed 11 Aircrafts (mostly military) and damaged 15, there are no civilian casualties. This incident slowed down Sri Lankan economy.
- 1998 - Russell Eugene Weston Jr. bursts into the United States Capitol and opens fire killing two police officers. He is later ruled to be incompetent to stand trial.
- 1990 - Iraqi forces start massing on the Kuwait-Iraq border.
- 1983 - George Brett batting for the Kansas City Royals against the New York Yankees, has a game-winning home run nullified in the "Pine Tar Incident".
- 1982 - Heavy rain causes a mudslide that destroys a bridge at Nagasaki, Japan, killing 299.
- 1980 - The Quietly Confident Quartet of Australia wins the Men's 4 x 100 metre medley relay at the Moscow Olympics, the only time the United States has not won the event at Olympic level.
- 1977 - End of a four day long Libyan-Egyptian War.
- 1974 - Watergate scandal: the United States Supreme Court unanimously ruled that President Richard Nixon did not have the authority to withhold subpoenaed White House tapes and they order him to surrender the tapes to the Watergate special prosecutor.
- 1974 - After the Turkish invasion of Cyprus the Greek military junta collapses and democracy is restored.
- 1972 - Bugojno group is caught by Yugoslav security forces.
- 1969 - Apollo program: Apollo 11 splashes down safely in the Pacific Ocean.
- 1967 - During an official state visit to Canada, French President Charles de Gaulle declares to a crowd of over 100,000 in Montreal: Vive le Québec libre! ("Long live free Quebec!"). The statement, interpreted as support for Quebec independence, delighted many Quebecers but angered the Canadian government and many English Canadians.
- 1966 - Michael Pelkey makes the first BASE jump from El Capitan along with Brian Schubert. Both came out with broken bones. BASE jumping has now been banned from El Cap.
- 1959 - At the opening of the American National Exhibition in Moscow, U.S. Vice President Richard Nixon and Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev have a "Kitchen Debate".
- 1950 - Cape Canaveral Air Force Station begins operations with the launch of a Bumper rocket.
- 1943 - World War II: Operation Gomorrah begins: British and Canadian aeroplanes bomb Hamburg by night, those of the Americans by day. By the end of the operation in November, 9,000 tons of explosives will have killed more than 30,000 people and destroyed 280,000 buildings.
- 1938 - First ascent of the Eiger north face.
- 1937 - Alabama drops rape charges against the so-called "Scottsboro Boys".
- 1935 - The world's first children's railway opens in Tbilisi, USSR.
- 1935 - The dust bowl heat wave reaches its peak, sending temperatures to 109°F (44°C) in Chicago and 104°F (40°C) in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
- 1931 - A fire at a home for the elderly in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania kills 48 people.
- 1929 - The Kellogg-Briand Pact, renouncing war as an instrument of foreign policy, goes into effect (it is first signed in Paris on August 27, 1928 by most leading world powers).
- 1927 - The Menin Gate war memorial is unveiled at Ypres.
- 1923 - The Treaty of Lausanne, settling the boundaries of modern Turkey, is signed in Switzerland by Greece, Bulgaria and other countries that fought in World War I.
- 1915 - The passenger ship S.S. Eastland capsizes while tied to a dock in the Chicago River. A total of 844 passengers and crew were killed in the largest loss of life disaster from a single shipwreck on the Great Lakes.
- 1911 - Hiram Bingham III re-discovers Machu Picchu, "the Lost City of the Incas".
- 1901 - O. Henry is released from prison in Austin, Texas after serving three years for embezzlement from a bank.
- 1866 - Reconstruction: Tennessee becomes the first U.S. State to be readmitted to the Union following the American Civil War.
- 1864 - American Civil War: Battle of Kernstown – Confederate General Jubal Anderson Early defeats Union troops led by General George Crook in an effort to keep them out of the Shenandoah Valley.
- 1847 - After 17 months of travel, Brigham Young leads 148 Mormon pioneers into Salt Lake Valley, resulting in the establishment of Salt Lake City. Celebrations of this event include the Pioneer Day Utah state holiday and the Days of '47 Parade.
- 1832 - Benjamin Bonneville leads the first wagon train across the Rocky Mountains by using Wyoming's South Pass.
- 1823 - Slavery is abolished in Chile.
- 1814 - War of 1812: General Phineas Riall advances toward the Niagara River to halt Jacob Brown's American invaders.
- 1715 - A Spanish treasure fleet of 10 ships under Admiral Ubilla leaves Havana, Cuba for Spain. Seven days later, 9 of them sink in a storm off the coast of Florida. A few centuries later, treasure is salvaged from these wrecks.
- 1701 - Antoine de la Mothe Cadillac founds the trading post at Fort Pontchartrain, which later becomes the city of Detroit, Michigan.
- 1567 - Mary, Queen of Scots, is forced to abdicate and replaced by her 1-year-old son James VI.
- 1534 - French explorer Jacques Cartier plants a cross on the Gaspé Peninsula and takes possession of the territory in the name of Francis I of France.
- 1487 - Citizens of Leeuwarden, Netherlands strike against ban on foreign beer.
- 1411 - Battle of Harlaw, one of the bloodiest battles in Scotland, takes place.
- 1148 - Louis VII of France lays siege to Damascus during the Second Crusade.
- 1132 - Battle of Nocera between Ranulf II of Alife and Roger II of Sicily.

July 24th


- 1998 - Bindi Irwin, Australian entertainer
- 1990 - Daveigh Chase, American actress
- 1988 - Ricky Petterd, Australian footballer
- 1987 - Cafu, Brazilian footballer
- 1987 - Mara Wilson, American actress
- 1986 - Andrei Lutai, Russian figure skater
- 1986 - Megan Park, Canadian actress
- 1985 - Patrice Bergeron, Canadian hockey player
- 1985 - Teagan Presley, American pornographic actress
- 1985 - Eric Wright, American football player
- 1984 - Dhani Lennevald, Swedish singer
- 1983 - Daniele De Rossi, Italian footballer
- 1982 - Élise Crombez, Belgian model
- 1982 - Thiago Medeiros, Brazilian racing driver
- 1982 - Anna Paquin, Canadian-born New Zealand actress
- 1982 - Michael Poppmeier, South African-born German rugby player
- 1981 - Summer Glau, American actress
- 1980 - Wilfred Bungei, Kenyan runner
- 1980 - Gauge, American pornographic actress
- 1979 - Mark Andrew Smith, American graphic novelist
- 1979 - José Valverde, American baseball player
- 1979 - Rose Byrne, Australian actress
- 1979 - Lee Si-yeon, South Korean actress
- 1979 - Stat Quo, American rapper
- 1979 - Valerio Scassellati, Italian racing driver
- 1979 - Anne-Gaëlle Sidot, French tennis player
- 1978 - Andy Irons, Hawaiian Professional Surfer (d. 2010)
- 1977 - Danny Dyer, English actor and television presenter
- 1977 - Mehdi Mahdavikia, Iranian football player
- 1977 - Aitor Pérez, Spanish cyclist
- 1976 - Rafer Alston, American basketball player
- 1976 - Nate Bump, American baseball player
- 1976 - Tiago Monteiro, Portuguese racing driver
- 1975 - Jamie Langenbrunner, American ice hockey player
- 1975 - Eric Szmanda, American actor
- 1975 - Torrie Wilson, American wrestler
- 1975 - Dafydd James, Welsh rugby player
- 1972 - Kai? Hiroyuki, Japanese sumo wrestler
- 1972 - Rev. Jen Miller, American performance artist
- 1971 - Dino Baggio, Italian footballer
- 1971 - John Partridge, English singer
- 1970 - Stephanie Adams, American model and author
- 1970 - Elli Kokkinou, Greek singer
- 1969 - Rick Fox, Bahamian basketball player
- 1969 - Jennifer Lopez, American actress and singer
- 1968 - Kristin Chenoweth, American singer and actress
- 1968 - Colleen Doran, American comic book writer and artist
- 1968 - Malcolm Ingram, Canadian director
- 1968 - Laura Leighton, American actress
- 1966 - Martin Keown, English footballer
- 1965 - Andrew Gaze, Australian basketball player
- 1965 - Kadeem Hardison, American actor
- 1965 - Doug Liman, American film director
- 1964 - Barry Bonds, American baseball player
- 1964 - John Rosengren, American writer and author
- 1964 - Banana Yoshimoto, Japanese author
- 1964 - Christopher Gudgeon, Professor of history
- 1963 - Paul Geary, American musician
- 1963 - Julie Krone, American jockey
- 1963 - Karl Malone, American basketball player
- 1962 - Johnny O'Connell, American race car driver
- 1961 - Kerry Dixon, English footballer
- 1958 - Joe Barry Carroll, American basketball player
- 1958 - Jim Leighton, Scottish goalkeeper
- 1957 - Pam Tillis, American singer
- 1956 - Charles Crist, American politician
- 1956 - Pat Finn, American game show host and producer
- 1953 - Claire McCaskill, American politician
- 1952 - Gus Van Sant, American film director
- 1951 - Lynda Carter, American actress
- 1951 - Chris Smith, British politician
- 1950 - Arliss Ryan, American author
- 1949 - Yves Duteil, French singer and songwriter
- 1949 - Michael Richards, American comedian
- 1947 - Zaheer Abbas, Pakistani cricketer
- 1947 - Robert Hays, American actor
- 1947 - Peter Serkin, American pianist
- 1947 - Geoff McQueen, British television screenwriter (d. 1994)
- 1946 - Leo Gallagher, American comedian
- 1945 - Hugh Ross, Canadian scientist and Christian apologist
- 1945 - Azim Premji, Indian businessman
- 1942 - Chris Sarandon, American actor
- 1940 - Stanley Hauerwas, American theologian
- 1940 - Dan Hedaya, American actor
- 1938 - John Sparling, New Zealand cricketer
- 1938 - Eugene J. Martin, American painter and artist
- 1937 - Manoj Kumar, Indian actor
- 1936 - Ruth Buzzi, American actress and comedian
- 1936 - Mark Goddard, American actor
- 1935 - Pat Oliphant, Australian political cartoonist
- 1935 - Derek Varnals, South African cricketer
- 1934 - Sante Kimes, American con artist and murderess
- 1933 - Doug Sanders, American golfer
- 1933 - John Aniston, American actor
- 1931 - Ermanno Olmi, Italian director
- 1931 - Éric Tabarly, French sailor (d. 1998)
- 1929 - Alfred Binns, West Indian cricketer
- 1922 - Madeleine Ferron, French Canadian writer
- 1921 - Giuseppe Di Stefano, Italian operatic tenor (d. 2008)
- 1920 - Bella Abzug, American politician (d. 1998)
- 1919 - Robert Marsden Hope, Australian Justice (d. 1999)
- 1919 - Ferdinand Kübler, Swiss cyclist
- 1918 - Ruggiero Ricci, American violinist
- 1917 - Robert Farnon, Canadian-born conductor, composer, and arranger (d. 2005)
- 1917 - Jack Moroney, Australian cricketer (d. 1999)
- 1916 - John D. MacDonald, American novelist, (d. 1986)
- 1915 - Enrique Fernando, Filipino jurist (d. 2004)
- 1914 - Ed Mirvish, Canadian businessman, philanthropist and theatrical impresario (d. 2007)
- 1913 - Britton Chance, American biochemist
- 1910 - Harry Horner, American art director (d. 1994)
- 1908 - Cootie Williams, American trumpeter (d. 1985)
- 1904 - Leo Arnaud, French-American composer (d. 1991)
- 1904 - Richard B. Morris, American constitutional, legal, diplomatic historian (d. 1989)
- 1900 - Zelda Fitzgerald, American artist (d. 1948)
- 1899 - Chief Dan George, Coast Salish (Native Canadian) actor (d. 1981)
- 1897 - Amelia Earhart, American aviator (disappeared 1937)
- 1895 - Robert Graves, English author (d. 1985)
- 1888 - Arthur Richardson, Australian cricketer (d. 1973)
- 1886 - Jun'ichir? Tanizaki, Japanese novelist (d. 1965)
- 1880 - Ernest Bloch, Swiss composer (d. 1959)
- 1880 - Kristian Hellström, Swedish athlete (d. 1946)
- 1878 - Lord Dunsany, Irish writer (d. 1957)
- 1877 - Calogero Vizzini, Sicilian mafioso (d. 1954)
- 1874 - Oswald Chambers, Scottish minister and writer (d. 1917)
- 1867 - Edward Frederic Benson, English writer (d. 1940)
- 1867 - Fred Tate, English cricketer (d. 1943)
- 1867 - Vicente Acosta, Salvadoran poet (d. 1908)
- 1864 - Frank Wedekind, German writer (d. 1918)
- 1860 - Princess Charlotte of Prussia (d. 1919)
- 1860 - Alfons Mucha, Czech artist (d. 1939)
- 1857 - Henrik Pontoppidan, Danish writer, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1943)
- 1856 - Charles Émile Picard, French mathematician (d. 1941)
- 1853 - William Gillette, American actor and author (d. 1937)
- 1851 - Friedrich Schottky, German mathematician (d. 1935)
- 1826 - Ivan Bloch, Polish military theorist and peace activist (d. 1902)
- 1821 - William Poole, American gang member (d. 1855)
- 1803 - Adolphe Charles Adam, French composer (d. 1856)
- 1802 - Alexandre Dumas, pčre, French writer (d. 1870)
- 1794 - Johan Georg Forchhammer, Danish geologist (d. 1865)
- 1786 - Joseph Nicollet, French mathematician and explorer (d. 1843)
- 1783 - Simón Bolívar, South American liberator (d. 1830)
- 1757 - Vladimir Borovikovsky, Russian painter (d. 1825)
- 1725 - John Newton, English cleric and hymnist (d. 1807)
- 1660 - Charles Talbot, 1st Duke of Shrewsbury, English politician (d. 1718)
- 1574 - Thomas Platter the Younger, Swiss-born physician (d. 1628)
- 1561 - Maria of Palatinate-Simmern, Duchess of Södermanland (d. 1589)
- 1529 - Karl II, Margrave of Baden-Durlach, governor of the Margravate of Durlach (d. 1577)
- 923 - Emperor Suzaku of Japan (d. 952)