- Oct 1 Nigeria adopts constitution, Alhaji Shagari becomes president
- Oct 1 Pope John Paul II begins his first papal visit to USA in Boston
- Oct 1 RKO radio network begins operation
- Oct 1 US returns Canal Zone (but not the canal) to Panama after 75 years
- Oct 1 Shehu Shagari becomes first and only President of Nigeria's Second Republic
Papal Visit
Oct 2 Pope John Paul II visits New York City, and at the U.N. denounces all concentration camps and torture
John Paul II
- Oct 4 Hugh Leonards "Life" premieres in Dublin
- Oct 4 USSR performs nuclear test
- Oct 6 Harry Drake set long distance footbow shot record of 2,006 yds 1'9"
- Oct 6 Pope John Paul II is 1st Pope to visit White House in Washington, D.C.
- Oct 6 MLB American League Championship: Baltimore Orioles beat California Angels, 3 games to 1
- Oct 7 "1940s Radio Hour" opens at St James Theater NYC for 105 performances
- Oct 7 "Eubie!" closes at Ambassador Theater NYC after 439 performances
- Oct 7 Cleveland Browns' Dino Hall sets club records with 9 kickoff returns
- Oct 7 USSR performs underground nuclear test
Event of Interest
Oct 7 Frank Mahovlich formally retires from the NHL after a failed comeback attempt with the Detroit Red Wings
Frank Mahovlich
- Oct 7 Ferrari driver Jody Scheckter retires with tyre trouble in US Grand Prix at Watkins Glen; becomes first South African to claim World Formula 1 Drivers title; wins by 4 points from race winner Gilles Villeneuve
- Oct 8 J McHugh & A Malvin's musical "Sugar Babies" opens at Mark Hellinger Theater NYC for 1208 performances
Music Awards
Oct 8 13th Country Music Association Award: Willie Nelson, Kenny Rogers & Barbara Mandrell wins
Willie Nelson
Kenny Rogers
- Oct 9 Howard Stern begins broadcasting on WCCC in Hartford, Connecticut
- Oct 10 Fleetwood Mac gets a star in Hollywood
- Oct 10 Nordiques' Real Cloutier sets NHL record of a hat trick in 1st game
- Oct 10 Panama assumes sovereignty over Canal Area (ie Canal Zone)
- Oct 10 Recorded trace of snow in Central Park NYC
- Oct 11 "Most Happy Fella" opens at Majestic Theater NYC for 53 performances
- Oct 11 German DR frees dissidents Rudolf Bahro & Nico Hubner
- Oct 11 Allan McLeod Cormack & Godfrey Newbold Hounsfield win Nobel Prize for medicine for developing CAT scan
- Oct 12 The lowest recorded non-tornadic atmospheric pressure, 87.0 kPa (870 mbar or 25.69 inHg), occurred in Guam, in the Western Pacific during Typhoon Tip
Event of Interest
Oct 12 Boston Celtics guard Chris Ford scores first 3-point basket in NBA history in 1st quarter of 114-106 win v Houston at Boston Garden; game also marks debut of Boston rookie Larry Bird
Larry Bird
Event of Interest
Oct 12 Future Basketball Hall of Fame forward Magic Johnson makes his debut for Los Angeles Lakers at the San Diego Clippers; Lakers win, 103-102
Magic Johnson
Event of Interest
Oct 14 NHL's greatest scorer Wayne Gretzky scores his 1st NHL goal
Wayne Gretzky
- Oct 14 1st Gay and Lesbian Civil Rights March on Washington, D.C. by over 100,000 people
Event of Interest
Oct 14 NBC premiere of U.S. TV adaptation of Helen Keller's life story "The Miracle Worker"
Helen Keller
Event of Interest
Oct 15 NY Knicks retire 2nd number, # 10, Walt Frazier
Walt Frazier
Event of Interest
Oct 16 Comedy sketch show "Not the Nine O'Clock News" debuts starring Rowan Atkinson, Chris Langham, Pamela Stephenson and Mel Smith on BBC 2
Rowan Atkinson
Nobel Prize
Oct 17 Mother Teresa of Calcutta awarded Nobel Peace Prize
Mother Teresa
- Oct 17 Pittsburgh Pirates beat Balt Orioles, 4 games to 3 in 76th World Series
Event of Interest
Oct 17 US President Jimmy Carter signs legislation creating Department of Education
Jimmy Carter
- Oct 18 "Beatlemania" opens in London
Event of Interest
Oct 18 Iran's Ayatollah Khomeini orders mass executions to stop
Ayatollah Khomeini
Bob Dylan
Lorne Michaels
Event of Interest
Oct 20 John F. Kennedy Library dedicated in Boston
John F. Kennedy
Event of Interest
Oct 21 Israeli minister of Foreign affairs Moshe Dayan resigns
Moshe Dayan
- Oct 21 Ozzie Newsome begins NFL streak of 150 consecutive game receptions
- Oct 22 "One Mo' Time" with Vernel Bagners premieres in NYC
- Oct 22 Deposed Shah of Iran arrives in NYC for medical treatment
- Oct 22 Walt Disney World's 100-millionth guest
- Oct 23 Billy Martin is involved in a barroom altercation with Joseph Cooper, a Minn marshmallow salesman. Cooper requires 15 stitches
- Oct 24 Billy Martin punches a marshmallow salesman, puts job in jeopardy
Event of Interest
Oct 24 Guinness Book of Records presents Paul McCartney with a rhodium disc as all-time best selling singer-songwriter
Paul McCartney
- Oct 25 USSR performs underground nuclear test
- Oct 26 Park Chung-hee, President of South Korea is assassinated by KCIA head Kim Jae-kyu. Choi Kyu-ha becomes the acting President; Kim is executed the following May.
- Oct 27 Islanders score 2 goals within 6 seconds 3 goals within 44 seconds
- Oct 27 St Vincent & Grenadines becomes independent of UK (National Day)
- Oct 27 Voluntary Euthanasia Society publishes how-to-do-it suicide guide
- Oct 28 Dick Howser (best Yank mngr win-lost pct .636) replaces Billy Martin
- Oct 28 USSR performs nuclear test at Eastern Kazakh/Semipalitinsk USSR
- Oct 29 Billy Martin fired as Yankee manager (2nd time)
- Oct 29 Silvia Bertolaccini wins LPGA Colgate Far East Golf Open
- Oct 30 NASA launches space vehicle S-203
- Oct 30 Richard Arrington, Jr. is elected the first African American mayor in Birmingham, Alabama
- Oct 31 Mike Flanagan, wins AL Cy Young Award
- Oct 31 US DC-10 crashes at Mexico-City, 74 killed