Event of Interest
Oct 1 Vladimir Putin became a permanent member of the Security Council of the Russian Federation.
Vladimir Putin
- Oct 1 LA's Mauricio Cienfuegos and Martin Machon equal the MLS playoff record of 3 assists each as the Galaxy roll to a 6-1 win over the Dallas Burn at the Rose Bowl, Pasadena, California
- Oct 2 With his team struggling at 28 for 3, Australian cricket batsman Steve Waugh smashes a brilliant 157 to guide the tourists to an innings & 99 run win over Pakistan in the 1st Test in Rawalpindi
- Oct 4 Australian wicketkeeper Ian Healy overtakes countryman Rod Marsh's world record of 355 Test cricket dismissals during 1st Test win v Pakistan in Rawalpindi; catches Wasim Akram off Colin Miller to reach milestone
- Oct 4 Australian motorcycle racer Mick Doohan wins the Australian Grand Prix at Phillip Island to clinch his 5th world 500cc championship; all 5 titles are won with Honda
- Oct 7 Matthew Shepard, a gay student at the University of Wyoming, is found tied to a fence after being savagely beaten by two young adults in Laramie, Wyoming.
- Oct 8 Oslo Gardermoen airport opening after the close down of Fornebu.
Nobel Prize
Oct 8 José Saramago is the first person from Portugal to be awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature
José Saramago
- Oct 11 A Congo Airlines Boeing 727 is shot down by rebels in Kindu, Democratic Republic of the Congo, killing 40 people.
- Oct 13 MLB American League Championship: New York Yankees beat Cleveland Indians, 4 games to 2
- Oct 14 NY Islanders beat Tampa Bay, 7-1, to end 11 game winless streak
- Oct 14 Eric Robert Rudolph is charged with 6 bombings including the 1996 Centennial Olympic Park bombing in Atlanta, Georgia.
- Oct 14 MLB National League Championship: San Diego Padres beat Atlanta Braves, 4 games to 2
Murder of Interest
Oct 16 Former Chilean dictator General Augusto Pinochet is arrested in London on a Spanish warrant requesting his extradition on murder charges
Augusto Pinochet
Event of Interest
Oct 20 Comedian Richard Pryor is awarded the 1st ever Mark Twain Prize for American Humour
Richard Pryor
- Oct 21 New York Yankees beat San Diego, 3-0 in Game 4 at Qualcomm Stadium to sweep Padres and win 2nd Baseball World Series in 3 years; Yankees 3rd baseman Scott Brosius MVP
Agreement of Interest
Oct 23 Israeli-Palestinian Conflict: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestinian Chairman Yasser Arafat reach a "land for peace" agreement.
Yasser Arafat
Benjamin Netanyahu
Music Single
Oct 23 Britney Spears releases her debut single "Baby One More Time"
Britney Spears
- Oct 24 Launch of Deep Space 1 on comet and asteroid mission
Election of Interest
Oct 27 Helmut Kohl resigns as Chancellor of Germany after 16 years, following a landslide defeat in elections
Helmut Kohl
- Oct 28 An Air China (Mainland China) jetliner is hijacked by disgruntled pilot Yuan Bin and flown to Taiwan.
- Oct 29 Apartheid: In South Africa, the Truth and Reconciliation Commission presents its report, which condemns both sides for committing atrocities.
- Oct 29 En route Adana to Ankara, Turkish Airlines flight with crew of 6 and 33 passengers hijacked by Kurdish militant, orders pilot fly to Switzerland. Pilot lands in Ankara tricking hijacker he was landing in Sofia to refuel.
- Oct 29 Hurricane Mitch, the second deadliest Atlantic hurricane in history, made landfall in Honduras.
Scientific Discovery
Oct 29 Space Shuttle Discovery blasts off on STS-95 with 77-year old John Glenn on board, making him the oldest person to go into space.
John Glenn