31 July 2026
► EVENTS on 31 JULY;
On this day in 1960 in Hobart, Tasmania – Traffic was slowed to a crawl during the evening in the thickest fog seen in the city for 30 years, yet no fog was reported at Hobart airport.
1964, The space probe Ranger 7 transmitted the first close-up photographs of the moon’s surface, which were a thousand times clearer than any previously taken from Earth-bound telescopes. Ranger 7 sent over 4,300 photographs during its final 17 minutes, before crashing into the moon at a speed of over 9,300 km/h.
1971, Apollo 15 astronauts David Scott and James Irwin became the first to ride on the Moon’s surface in a lunar rover.
1999, After orbiting the moon for 19 months carrying out research, NASA intentionally crashed the Lunar Prospector spacecraft near the Lunar South Pole at 6,000 kph, as part of its mission to detect frozen water on the moon’s surface.
Lunar Prospector was carrying ashes of the late Dr Eugene Shoemaker, astronomer and scientist, who narrowly missed selection for the NASA lunar landing programme.
Shoemaker was a co-discoverer of a comet which collided with the planet Jupiter in 1994, and is the first human whose remains are interred on another celestial body.
► ARRIVALS ON THIS DATE
Roland Kent Lavoie alias Lobo, was born this day in 1943 in Tallahassee, Florida, U.S.A. He was a singer-songwriter, successful in the early 70s, with Top 10 hits including Me And You And a Dog Named Boo, I’d Love You To Want Me and Don’t Expect Me To Be Your Friend. Turns 83 today.
Gary Harold Lee Levitch, alias Gary Lewis, was born in 1945 in Los Angeles, California, U.S.A. He was the lead singer of the 60s band Gary Lewis & The Playboys. Turns 81 today.
► DEPARTURES ON THIS DATE
1964, Jim Reeves, in Davidson County, Tennessee, U.S.A., aged 40. He was a singer-songwriter of the 1950s and 1960s. Reeves and his business partner and manager Dean Manuel died when Reeves’ private plane crashed during a thunderstorm.
2010, Mitchell William Miller alias Mitch Miller, in New York, U.S.A., aged 99. He was a musician, singer, conductor, record producer, and record company executive, one of the most influential figures in American popular music during the 50s and early 60s as the head of Artists and Repertoire at Columbia Records.
He was also a best-selling recording artist with an NBC television series, Sing Along with Mitch.
Today’s photo: The Derwent River, New Norfolk, June 2012. Photo: Yours Truly.
Today’s Playlist –
| TRACK | RELEASE YEAR | PLAY TIME | LAST PLAYED |
| Tory & The South Shore Troubadours – That One Thing | 2026 | 09:05 | 19/7/2026 |
| Allan Caswell & Lindsay Waddington – Living My Life On The Rails | 2026 | 09:11 | 24/7/2026 |
| Ray Lani – It’s All Because Of You | 2026 | 09:14 | 26/7/2026 |
| Diamond 45s – Charting on this day 1966 + Mamas & The Papas – I Saw Her Again Last Night | 1966 | 09:20 | 7/5/2023 |
| + Petula Clark – I Couldn’t Live Without Your Love | 1966 | 09:22 | 5/3/2023 |
| Chillin’ – Living Our Own Way | 09:27 | – | |
| Will Glahe’s Boheme Ballhouse Band – Lost Patrol | 09:32 | 11/12/2016 | |
| Lobo – I’d Love You To Want Me | 2026 | 09:36 | 23/2/2025 |
| Gary Lewis & Playboys – This Diamond Ring | 1965 | 09:40 | 21/2/2025 |
| For a Listener Vic Franklyn – She Didn’t Even Say Goodbye | 09:44 | 11/12/2023 | |
| TammRae – Southern Blood | 2026 | 09:48 | 12/7/2026 |
| Stevie Wonder – Part Time Lover | 09:52 | 7/11/2025 | |
| Toffee Nut Orion – Dust Over Kora | 2026 | 09:57 | – |
| Nancy Su & Brandie Blue – Highway Lady | 2026 | 10:05 | 26/7/2026 |
| Up-Stairs – I Still Carry You | 2026 | 10:11 | 24/5/2026 |
| For a Listener Joe Babcock & Hurshel Wiginton Singers – 500 Miles | 10:15 | 4/8/2013 | |
| Vintage Vinyl + Ray Peterson – Corrine Corrina | 1960 | 10:20 | 23/4/2023 |
| + Marty Robbins – Big Iron | 1960 | 10:23 | 26/6/2015 |
| Hayden Bilingy – Bequia | 2025 | 10:28 | 24/10/2025 |
| Wally Stott & His Orchestra – Bali Hai | 10:32 | 24/5/2026 | |
| Jim Reeves – Mona Lisa Jim Reeves died this day 1964 in Davidson County, Tennessee, U.S.A. aged 40 | 10:37 | 23/9/2022 | |
| Mitch Miller – The Great Escape March Mitchell William Miller alias Mitch Miller died this day in 2010 in New York, U.S.A. aged 99 | 1963 | 10:41 | 5/5/2024 |
| For a Listener Johnny Horton – When It’s Springtime in Alaska | 10:45 | 27/3/2026 | |
| 70s Gem +Bellamy Brothers – Let Your Love Flow | 1976 | 10:51 | 22/6/2025 |
| +ABBA – Ring Ring | 1976 | 10:54 | 22/6/2025 |
| Graeme Clarke – Wrong Road Again | 10:58 | 19/4/2026 | |
| A Band Of Rain – I Love You Whatever | 2026 | 11:05 | 12/4/2026 |
| The Charlesys – I Couldn`t Know | 2026 | 11:11 | – |
| COMFORT ZONE + Des O’Connor – Red Roses For A Blue Lady | 11:18 | 12/1/2025 | |
| + Foster & Allen – Wolverton Mountain | 11:21 | 25/8/2019 | |
| Victoria Eman & John Smyths – Loving You, Loving Me | 2025 | 11:28 | – |
| Xavier Cugat Orchestra – Miami Beach Rhumba | 11:35 | 27/10/2023 | |
| Diamond 45s – Charting on this day 1966 + The Cyrkle – Red Rubber Ball | 1966 | 11:40 | – |
| + Kinks – Sunny Afternoon | 1966 | 11:42 | 22/10/2021 |
| Lindsay Waddington & Brendan Radford – Something of a Privilege | 2025 | 11:48 | 12/7/2026 |
| Connie Kis Andersen – Gone Wishin’ | 11:51 | – |