1. Arizona became the 48th state in the United States on February 4, 1912, but it wasn't until July 31 of that year that President William Howard Taft signed the statehood proclamation officially recognizing Arizona as a state.

2. On July 31, 1941, the Arizona State Fairgrounds in Phoenix became the site of a Civilian Pilot Training Program established by the U.S. Army Air Corps. The program trained thousands of pilots for service during World War II.

3. In 1959, the Grand Canyon National Park in northern Arizona experienced one of its deadliest days when a commercial airliner crashed into a mountain peak, killing all 128 passengers and crew on board. The tragedy occurred on July 31 during a flight from Los Angeles to Chicago.

4. July 31, 1965, marked the conclusion of the first major civil rights demonstration in Phoenix. Organized by the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), the demonstration aimed to desegregate hotels and restaurants in the city's downtown area.

5. On July 31, 2019, Arizona made headlines around the world when a new Guinness World Record was set in Lake Havasu City for the largest floating waterpark. The park, called "Havasu Springs Resort Water Park," featured over 30 inflatable obstacles and spanned 12,388 square feet.