- 1427 Sigismund, Archduke of Austria, born in Innsbruck, Austria (d. 1496)
- 1473 Duke Friedrich of Saxony, 36th Grand Master of the Teutonic Knights (1498-1510), born in Torgau, Germany (d. 1510)
- 1491 Zhengde, 10th Emperor of the Ming Dynasty, born in Beijing (d. 1521)
- 1609 William Sprague, English co-founder of Charlestown, Massachusetts (d. 1675)
- 1645 Aert de Gelder, Dutch painter (King David), born in Dordrecht, Netherlands (d. 1727)
- 1673 Dimitrie Cantemir, Romanian historian and Monarch of Moldova (1710-11), born in Dimitrie Cantemir, Vaslui, Romania (d. 1723)
- 1684 Kurt Christoph Graf von Schwerin, Prussian field marshal, born in Löwitz, Pomerania (d. 1757)
- 1757 Karl Leonhard Reinhold, Austrian philosopher (elementary philosophy), born in Vienna, Austria (d. 1823)
Georges Danton
1759 Georges Danton, French politician and revolutionary (1st president of the Committee of Public Safety during the French Revolution), born in Arcis-sur-Aube, France (d. 1794)
Georges Danton
- 1768 Eustachy Erazm Sanguszko, Polish general and politician, born in Radzyń Podlaski, Poland (d. 1844)
- 1791 Charles Sprague, American banker and poet (Curiosity), born in Boston, Massachusetts (d. 1875)
- 1794 Konstantin Thon, Russian architect (Grand Kremlin Palace), born in St. Petersburg, Russia (d. 1881)
- 1800 Helmuth von Moltke the Elder, Prussian general and fieldmarshal, born in Parchim, Mecklenburg-Schwerin (d. 1891)
- 1802 Miguel I, King of Portugal (1828-34), born in Palace of Queluz, Sintra, Portugal (d. 1866)
- 1804 Lorenzo Thomas, American Brevet Major General (Union Army), born in New Castle, Delaware (d. 1875)
- 1823 Karl Weinhold, German sociologist (founder of Journal of the Association of Folklore), born in Dzierżoniów, Poland (d. 1901)
- 1824 Arthur Middleton Manigault, Brigadier General (Confederate Army), born in Charleston, South Carolina (d. 1886)
- 1830 Stephen Elliott, Jr., Brigadier General (Confederate Army), born in Beaufort, South Carolina (d. 1866)
- 1837 James Lawlor Kieran, Irish-American Brigadier General (Union Army), born in Mountbellew, County Galway (d. 1869)
- 1843 Vasily Vereshchagin, Russian painter (War & Peace), born in Cherepovets, Russia (d. 1904)
- 1849 Ferdinand Georg Frobenius, German mathematician (Frobenius–Stickelberger formulae), born in Charlotteburg, Berlin, Germany (d. 1917)
- 1854 C. W. Post, American manufacturer of breakfast cereals, born in Springfield, Illinois (d. 1914)
- 1869 Washington Luís, President of Brazil (1926-30), born in Macaé, Rio de Janeiro (d. 1957)
- 1871 Guillermo Kahlo, German-Mexican photographer and father of Frida Kahlo, born in Pforzheim, Grand Duchy of Baden, German Empire (d. 1941)
- 1873 Thorvald Stauning, Prime Minister of Denmark (1924-26, 1929-42), born in Copenhagen, Denmark (d. 1942)
- 1874 Martin Lowry, English chemist (Brønsted–Lowry acid–base theory), born in Low Moor, Bradford (d. 1936)
- 1880 Andrei Bely [Boris Nikolaevich Bugaev], Russian writer (Petersburg), born in Moscow, Russia (d. 1934)
- 1883 Napoleon Hill, American writer and philosopher (Think and Grow Rich), born in Pound, Virginia (d. 1970)
- 1886 Mark Aldanov,, Russian-French writer and critic (Novy Zhurnal), born in Kiev (d. 1957)
- 1888 Runar Schildt, Finnish writer (Segrande Eros), born in Helsinki (d. 1925)
- 1888 Nestor Makhno, Ukrainian anarchist Insurrectionary leader, born in Hulai-Pole, Russian Empire (d. 1934)
- 1893 Miloš Crnjanski, Serbian poet (Seobe), born in Csongrád, Austria-Hungary (d. 1977)
- 1894 John S Knight, American journalist and publisher (Knight Newspapers), born in Bluefield, West Virginia (d. 1981)
- 1900 Ibrahim Abboud, 1st President and 4th Prime Minister of Sudan (1958-64), born in Suakin, Sudan (d. 1983)
- 1900 Karin Boye, writer (Kallocain), born in Gothenburg, Sweden (d. 1941)
- 1905 George Flahiff, Canadian Cardinal, born in Paris, Ontario, Canada (d. 1989)
- 1910 John Krol, American former archbishop of Philadelphia (1961-88), born in Cleveland, Ohio (d. 1996)
- 1911 Sorley MacLean, Scottish poet (Poems to Eimhir and Other Poems), born in Osgaig, Raasay, Scotland (d. 1996)
- 1913 Stuart J. Byrne, American sci-fi author (Star Man, God Man), born in Saint Paul, Minnesota (d. 2011)
Francois Mitterrand
1916 Francois Mitterrand, 21st President of France (1981-1995), born in Jarnac, France (d. 1996)
Francois Mitterrand
- 1917 Mario Biaggi, American politician (Rep-D&R-NY, 1969-88), born in New York (d. 2015)
Edward W. Brooke
1919 Edward W. Brooke, 1st African American senator in over 80 yrs (Sen-R-Mass), born in Washington D.C. (d. 2015)
Edward W. Brooke
- 1920 T. C. Jones, American female impersonator, born in Scranton, Pennsylvania (d. 1971)
- 1921 George Houston, land economist
- 1921 George Forrest, Northern Irish MP (d. 1968)
- 1924 Tom Lewis, American politician (Rep-R-Florida, 1983-93), born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (d. 2003)
- 1925 Jan Wolkers, Dutch sculptor and novelist (Brief American), born in Oegstgeest, Netherlands (d. 2007)
- 1926 Yuri Aleksandrovich Letunov, Russian cosmonaut
- 1928 Francisco Solano López, Argentine comic artist, born in Buenos Aires (d. 2011)
- 1929 Georgette Amowitz, French choreographer and educator, born in Paris
- 1930 John Arden, English novelist and playwright (Left Handed Liberty), born in Barnsley, England (d. 2012)
- 1932 Anthony Beilenson, American politician (Rep-D-California, 1977-97), born in New York
- 1934 Ulrich Plenzdorf, German writer (Die neuen Leiden des jungen W.), born in Berlin (d. 2007)
- 1938 Charles W Stenholm, American politician (Rep-D-Texas, 1979-2005), born in Stamford, Texas
- 1939 Vladimir Mikhailovich Beloborodov, cosmonaut
- 1940 Mario Orosco, 1st victim of NYC's Zodiac killer (survives)
- 1942 John P "Jannie" Roux, South African sect to pres (Botha/De Klerk)
- 1944 Ries Smits, Dutch economist and politician (CDA), born in Tricht, Netherlands
- 1945 Pat Conroy, American writer (The Great Santini, Prince of Tides), born in Atlanta, Georgia (d. 2016)
- 1945 Demetris Th. Gotsis, Greek poet and author, born in Thessaloniki, Greece
- 1947 Trevor Joyce, Irish poet (The Poems of Sweeny Peregrine), born in Dublin
Hillary Clinton
1947 Hillary Rodham Clinton, US 1st Lady (1993-2001), Senator (NY, 2001-09), Secretary of State (2009-13) and 2016 Democratic Presidential nominee, born in Chicago, Illinois
Hillary Clinton
- 1952 Andrew Motion, English poet (British Poet Laureate 1999-2009), born in London
- 1952 Abbas al-Musawi, influential Lebanese Shia cleric, and founder and leader of Hezbollah, born in Al-Nabi Shayth, Lebanon (d. 1992)
- 1953 Jennifer Roberson, American sci-fi author (Shapechangers, Sword-Maker)
- 1953 Rosa Monckton, English businesswoman adn notable charity fundraiser, born in Westminster, London
- 1954 Carlos Agostinho do Rosário, Mozambican politician, Prime Minister of Mozambique (2015-), born in Maxixe, Mozambique
- 1955 Stephen K Robinson, PhD/astronaut (STS 85, sk:95), born in Sacramento, California
- 1956 Stephen Gumley, Australian businessman
- 1956 Regina Benjamin, 18th US Surgeon General (2009-13), born in Mobile, Alabama
- 1959 Evo Morales, Bolivian politician and 80th President of Bolivia (2006-present), born in Isallawi, Bolivia
- 1961 Uhuru Kenyatta, Kenyan Prime Minister (2013-) and son of Jomo Kenyatta, born in Nairobi, Kenya
- 1963 Ted Demme, American film and television director, born in NYC, New York (d. 2002)
- 1972 Hamdi Ulukaya, Kurdish founder and CEO of Chobani, born in Erzincan, Turkey
- 1973 Taka Michinoku, Japanese professional wrestle
- 1979 Movsar Barayev, Chechen militant (d. 2002)
- 1996 Pasaye, twin born 92 days before his brother (Jan 26), born in Palatine, Illinois
October in History
![Test of Time for the Date of Creation]()
Test of Time for the Date of Creation
The assertion by a 17th Century bishop that the universe was created on this day in the year 4004 BC was put to the test in a famous trial in the United States.
October 23, 4004 BC![The Charge of the Light Brigade, a Brave and Foolish Tale]()
The Charge of the Light Brigade, a Brave and Foolish Tale
The Charge of the Light Brigade is infamous as an act of bravery in the face all insurmountable odds. An event immortalized in poetry by Alfred Tennyson.
October 25, 1854![The Gunfight at OK Corral]()
The Gunfight at OK Corral
Said to have lasted just 30 seconds, the gunfight at OK Corral in Tombstone, Arizona, is remembered as one of the great shootouts in the annals of the Wild West
October 26, 1881![The Man Who Saved The World]()
The Man Who Saved The World
Many people think John F Kennedy saved the world with his handling of the Cuban missile crisis. But an unknown Russian sailor also played a dramatic role.
October 27, 1962
