- 1093 Robrecht I, the Fries, Count of Flanders, dies
- 1282 Nichiren Japanese founder of Nichiren Buddhism (b. 1222)
- 1311 Gwijde van Names, Flemish marshal (Golden Track), dies at 35
- 1415 Thomas FitzAlan, 12th Earl of Arundel, English military leader (b. 1381)
- 1508 Edmund de Ros, 11th Baron de Ros, English politician (b. 1446)
- 1605 Theodore Beza, French theologian (b. 1519)
- 1643 Sweder van Haersolte, mister of Swaluwenborch/diplomat, dies at 61
- 1652 Abraham Verhoeven, Flemish printer/newspaper publisher, dies
- 1673 Kristoffer Gabel, Danish statesman (b. 1617)
- 1680 Daniel Elsevier, book publisher, dies at 54
- 1687 Geminiano Montanari, Italian astronomer (b. 1633)
- 1706 Iyasus the Great, Emperor of Ethiopia (b. 1682)
- 1708 Henry van Nassau, mister of Ouwerkerk/fieldmarshal, dies at 67
- 1715 Nicolas Malebranche, French philosopher (b. 1638)
- 1759 John Henley, English clergyman, dies at 64
- 1774 Willem Bentinck, mister of Rhoon/Pendrecht/Orangist, dies at 69
- 1788 Robert Nugent, 1st Earl Nugent, Irish politician and poet (b. 1702)
- 1795 William Prescott, American Revolutionary soldier, dies
Isaac Brock
1812 Isaac Brock, English general (conquered Detroit), dies in battle at 43
Isaac Brock
- 1815 Joachim Murat, marshal of France/King of Naples (1808-15), executed
- 1822 Antonio Canova, Italian sculptor, dies at 64
- 1825 Maximilian I of Bavaria (b. 1756)
- 1869 Charles-Augustin Sainte-Beuve, Fren writer (Tableau Historique), dies
- 1879 Henry Charles Carey, American economist (Principles of Poli Economy), dies at 85
- 1882 Arthur de Gobineau, French philosopher (b. 1816)
- 1890 Samuel Freeman Miller, U.S. Supreme Court Justice, dies at 74
- 1904 Pavlos Melas, Greek officer who organized and participated in the Greek Struggle for Macedonia (b. 1870)
- 1909 Francisco Ferrer, Spanish anarchist, executed
- 1918 Gerrit Engelke, German writer (Briefer der Liebe), dies
- 1919 Karl Adolph Gjellerup, Danish writer, Nobel laureate (b. 1857)
- 1920 Isaac Capadose, clergyman in the Catholic Apostolic Church, dies at 86
- 1926 Hans E. Kinck, Norwegian philological and writer (Driftekaren), dies at 61
- 1928 Maria Feodorovna, Princess of Denmark and Empress of Russia, dies at 80
- 1931 Ernst Didring, Swedish author (b. 1868)
- 1938 E.C. Segar, American cartoonist (Popeye) (b. 1894)
- 1941 GJ Berenschot, general/supreme commander Dutch East Indies army, dies
Milton S. Hershey
1945 Milton S. Hershey, American chocolate tycoon (The Hershey Chocolate Company), dies at 86
Milton S. Hershey
- 1947 Sydney Webb, English socialist and economist (founded London School of Economics) and husband of Beatrice Webb, dies at 88
- 1950 Ernest Haycox, American writer (b. 1899)
- 1955 Manuel Ávila Camacho, 45th President of Mexico (1940-46), dies at 58
- 1965 Paul H Muller, Swiss chemist (DDT-Nobel 1948), dies at 66
- 1984 Alice Neel, American painter dies ages 84
Walter Houser Brattain
1987 Walter Houser Brattain, American physicist (transistors, Nobel 1956), dies at 85
Walter Houser Brattain
- 1990 Lê Ðức Thọ, Vietnamese revolutionary general, politician and negotiator in Paris (1975), dies at 78
- 1991 Daniel Oduber Quiros, president of Costa Rica (1974-1978), dies
- 1992 James Marshall, American illustrator/author (George and Martha, The Stupids), dies of a brain tumor at 50
- 1995 Henry Roth, American writer (Call it Sleep), dies at 89
- 1995 Ali Faik Zaghloul, Egyptian radio presenter, dies at 71
- 1996 Albert Hughes Williams, teacher and historian, dies at 89
- 1996 Henri Nannen, journalist, dies at 82
- 1997 Adil Carcani, prime minister of Albania (1982-91), dies
- 1997 Richard Mason, English author (The World of Suzie Wong), dies at 78
- 2000 Gus Hall, American union organizer and head of the U.S. Communist Party, dies at 90
Stephen E. Ambrose
2002 Stephen E. Ambrose, American historian (Band of Brothers), dies of lung cancer at 66
Stephen E. Ambrose
- 2003 Bertram Brockhouse, Canadian physicist, Nobel laureate (b. 1918)
- 2004 Enrique Fernando, Chief Justice of the Philippine Supreme Court, dies at 89
- 2005 Vivian Malone Jones, American civil rights activist (b. 1942)
- 2006 Wang Guangmei, Chinese first lady (b. 1921)
- 2007 Bob Denard, French mercenary (b. 1929)
- 2009 Stephen Barnett, American legal scholar who opposed the Newspaper Preservation Act of 1970 (b. 1935)
- 2010 Vernon Biever, American photographer (b. 1923)
Bhumibol Adulyadej
2016 Bhumibol Adulyadej [Rama IX], King of Thailand (1946-2016), was world's longest reigning monarch, dies at 88
Bhumibol Adulyadej
- 2016 Dario Fo, Italian playwright and performer (Nobel Prize Literature 1997), dies at 90
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