- 1573 Jacob Boonen, South Netherlands clergyman and lawyer, born in Antwerp, Belgium (d. 1655)
- 1593 Nicolaas Tulp, Mayor of Amsterdam (1654-71), born in Amsterdam, Netherlands (d. 1674)
- 1611 Hugues de Lionne, Marquess de Berry, French ambassador to Rome, born in Grenoble, France (d. 1671)
- 1661 Melchior de Polignac, French diplomat, Cardinal and poet, born in Chateau de la Ronte, Haute-Loire, France (d. 1741)
- 1671 Frederik IV, King of Denmark and Norway (1699-1730), born in Copenhagen, Denmark (d. 1730)
- 1675 Samuel Clarke, English philosopher and theologian, born in Norwich, England (d. 1729)
Arthur Phillip
1738 Arthur Phillip, British admiral, 1st Governor of New South Wales (1788-92), born in Cheapside, London (d. 1814)
Arthur Phillip
- 1758 Wilhelm Olbers, German astronomer and physician, discovered asteroids (Pallas & Vesta), born in Bremen, Germany (d. 1840)
- 1768 Adriaan van den Ende, Dutch vicar and educationalist, born in Delft, Netherlands (d. 1846)
- 1782 Steen Steensen Blicher, Danish poet and short-story writer (E Binddstouw), born in Vium, Denmark (d. 1848)
- 1786 Stevenson Archer, American judge and Congressmen from Maryland, born in Churchville, Maryland (d. 1848)
- 1803 Albartus Telting, Frisian poet (Frisianch Jierboeckjen), born in Franeker, Netherlands (d. 1863)
- 1806 Alexander Karađorđević, Prince of Serbia (1842-58), born in Topola, Serbia (d. 1885)
- 1809 Orson Squire Fowler, American phrenologist and lecturer, born in Cohocton, New York (d. 1887)
- 1814 Jean Baptiste Lamy, 1st Archbishop of Santa Fe (1853-85), born in Lempdes, Puy-de-Dôme, France (d. 1888)
- 1815 Pierre Napoleon Bonaparte, Corsican representative of the people, born in Rome, Italy (d. 1881)
- 1820 Alfred Washington Ellet, American civil engineer and Brigadier General (Union Army), born in Bucks County, Pennsylvania (d. 1895)
George Williams
1821 George Williams, English philanthropist and founder of YMCA, born in Dulverton, West Somerset, England (d. 1905)
George Williams
Henry John Heinz
1844 Henry John Heinz, German-American entrepreneur who founded prepared-foods company (H.J. Heinz Company-57 varieties), born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania (d. 1919)
Henry John Heinz
- 1865 Hans E. Kinck, Norwegian philological and writer (Mot Karnaval), born in Øksfjord, Norway (d. 1926)
- 1871 Johan Oscar Smith, Norwegian Christian leader who founded the evangelical Brunstad Christian Church, born in Fredrikstad, Norway (d. 1943)
- 1872 Harlan Fiske Stone, Chief Justice Supreme Court (1941-46), born in Chesterfield, New Hampshire (d. 1946)
- 1875 Stefan Octavian Iosif, Romanian poet (Beautiful Irine), born in Brașov, Romania (d. 1913)
- 1876 Gertrud von Le Fort, German writer (The Eternal Woman), born in Minden, Westphalia (d. 1971)
- 1881 Stark Young, American writer (So Red the Rose), born in Como, Mississippi (d. 1963)
- 1881 Hans Kelsen, Austrian legal philosopher and political philosopher, born in Prague, Bohemia, Austria-Hungary (d. 1973)
- 1882 Will Vesper, German author (Vom grossen Krieg), born in Wuppertal, Germany (d. 1962)
Eleanor Roosevelt
1884 Eleanor Roosevelt, American 1st lady (1933-1945) human rights advocate (UN), born in NYC, New York (d. 1962)
Eleanor Roosevelt
- 1884 Friedrich Bergius, German chemist (benzine from brown coal, Nobel 1931), born in Breslau (Wrocław), Germany (d. 1949)
- 1885 Alfred Haar, Hungarian mathematician, born in Budapest, Hungary (d. 1933)
- 1885 Francois Mauriac, French novelist, poet and playwright (Nobel 1952), born in Bordeaux, France (d. 1970)
- 1891 Antonius [Jacob LT] van der Veen Zeppenfeldt, Antillian Bishop
- 1896 Roman Jakobson, Russian-American linguist and Slavic scholar (Fundamentals of Language), born in Moscow, Russia (d. 1982)
- 1897 Nathan Farragut Twining, U.S. Air Force general, born in Monroe, Wisconsin (d. 1982)
- 1902 Jayaprakash Narayan, Indian freedom fighter and political leader (d. 1979)
- 1905 Fred Trump, American real estate developer, father of Donald Trump, born in NYC, New York (d. 1999)
- 1910 Francis James Claude Piggott, soldier, born in Tokyo (d. 1996)
- 1910 Joseph Alsop, American political newspaper columnist (Men Around the President), born in Avon, Connecticut (d. 1989)
- 1913 J.J. Pickle, American politician (Rep-D-Texas, 1963-95), born in Big Spring, Texas (d. 2005)
- 1914 J. Edward Day, 55th U.S. Postmaster General (1961), born in Jacksonville, Illinois (d. 1996)
- 1915 Florence Finch, Philippine American war hero (WWII), born in Santiago, Philippines (d. 2017)
- 1925 Elmore Leonard, American writer (Glitz, Mr Majestyk, Touch, 52 Pick-Up), born in New Orleans, Louisiana (d. 2013)
- 1926 Nhất Hạnh, Vietnamese Zen Buddhist monk, born in Huế, Thừa Thiên-Huế Province, Vietnam
- 1927 Joséphine-Charlotte, Grand Duchess of Luxembourg, Princess of Belgium, born in Brussels, Belgium (d. 2005)
- 1930 Sam Johnson, American politician (Rep-R-Texas), born in San Antonio, Texas
- 1931 Dorothy Woolfolk, American comic book editor (Kryptonite), born in NYC, New York (d. 2000)
- 1937 Georgi Vladimirovich Machinski, Russian cosmonaut, born in Moscow, Russia
- 1937 R. H. W. Dillard, American poet (The Day I Stopped Dreaming About Barbara Steele and Other Poems), born in Roanoke, Virginia
- 1939 Franklin Sonn, South African union leader (South African workers), born in Vosburg, South Africa
- 1942 Vic Fazio, American politician (Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from California), born in Winchester, Massachusetts
- 1946 Oba Chandler, American convicted murderer, born in Cincinnati, Ohio (d. 2011)
- 1947 Lucas Papademos, Greek economist and Prime Minister of Greece (2011-12), born in Athens, Greece
- 1950 Patty Murray, American politician (U.S. Senator from Washington), born in Bothell, Washington
- 1950 Thomas Joseph "Tom" Tauke, American politician (House of Representatives, Iowa, 1979-1991), born in Dubuque, Iowa
- 1956 Nicanor Frutos, 47th President of Paraguay (2003-08), born in Coronel Oviedo, Paraguay
- 1957 Paul Sereno, American paleontologist (discovered several new dinosaur species), born in Aurora, Illinois
- 1959 Bob Inglis, American politician (Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from South Carolina), born in Savannah, Georgia
- 1963 Faisal bin Al Hussein, Prince of Jordan, son of King Hussein and Princess Muna, born in Amman, Jordan
- 1967 Peter Thiel, German-American entrepreneur, co-founder of PayPal, born in Frankfurt, Germany
- 1969 Prince Constantijn of the Netherlands, youngest son of Queen Beatrix and Claus von Amsberg, born in Utrecht, Netherlands
- 1969 Ty Murray, American rodeo cowboy (5-time all-around world champion), born in Phoenix, Arizona
- 1977 Claudia Palacios, Colombian television journalist, born in Cali, Valle del Cauca, Colombia
- 1983 William Sledd, American internet celebrity (Ask A Gay Man), born in Paducah, Kentucky
October in History
Jazz Singer Sounds Death Knell for Silent Movies
The Jazz Singer was premiered on this day and audiences were thrilled to hear Al Jolson talking. The pioneer film spelled the end for the silent-movie industry.
October 6, 1927
The Great Stand on the Ugra River
On one side of the Ugra River stood the Mongol Golden Horde, on the other, Ivan III, Grand Prince of the rising Muscovy Principality. At stake, everything.
October 8, 1480
Grim History of London's Speakers' Corner
Nowhere in England is the principal of free speech embodied more than at Speakers’ Corner in London’s Hyde Park. But this right was won through death and protest.
October 14, 1855
Hurricane on the Way? Don't Worry
A cosy assurance from a BBC weather forecaster for viewers not to worry about an impending storm has gone down as the most spectacular mis-forecast in history.
October 15, 1987