- Oct 7 Wills Hill, 1st Marquess of Downshire, British politician, dies at 75
John Hancock
Oct 8 John Hancock, American merchant and statesman who was 1st to sign the Declaration of Independence, dies at 56
- Oct 9 Jean Joseph Marie Amiot, French missionary (b. 1718)
Marie Antoinette
Oct 16 Marie Antoinette, Queen of France (1774-92) who allegedly uttered the phrase "let them eat cake", beheaded at 37