- Oct 2 Marthinus Theunis Steyn, South African politician and President of Orange-Free state (1896-1902), born in Winburg, Orange Free State (d. 1916)
- Oct 4 Henry Schoenfeld, American composer, born in Milwaukee (d. 1936)
- Oct 7 Moses Walker, American baseball catcher (first African-American open about his heritage to play MLB; Toledo Blue Stockings), born in Mt. Pleasant, Ohio (d. 1924)
- Oct 14 Elwood Haynes, American automotive pioneer (built one of 1st US autos), born in Portland, Indiana (d. 1925)
- Oct 24 Ned Williamson, American baseball player (Chicago White Stockings), born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (d. 1894)
- Oct 29 Konrad Haebler, German historian (Early printers of Spain/Portugal), born in Dresden, Germany (d. 1946)
- Oct 30 Georges Gilles de la Tourette, French neurologist and namesake of Tourette's syndrome, born in Saint-Gervais-les-Trois-Clochers, France (d. 1904)
- Oct 30 John H Aberson, 1st chancellor (Dutch Agricultural University)