- 1676 Christopher Gibbons, English composer, dies at 61
- 1819 Lambert-Francois Godecharle, composer, dies at 66
- 1870 Michael William Balfe, composer (Bohemian Girl), dies at 62
- 1904 Henry Hiles, English composer, dies at 77
- 1913 Leander Schlegel, composer, dies at 69
- 1927 Mikhail Mikhaylovich Ivanov, composer, dies at 78
- 1931 Emánuel Moór, Hungarian composer, pianist, and inventor of musical instruments, dies at 68
- 1944 Gabriel Groulez, French composer, dies at 65
- 1955 Eino Roiha, Finnish composer, dies at 51
- 1977 Cassie Gaines, American rock musician (Lynyrd Skynyrd), dies in a plane crash at 28
- 1977 Ronnie Van Zant, American rock musician (Lynyrd Skynyrd), dies in a plane crash at 29
- 1977 Steve Gaines, American rock vocalist and guitarist (Lynyrd Skynyrd), dies in a plane crash at 28
- 1983 Merle Travis, American country singer, dies at 75
- 1994 Charles Robert Owen Medley, dancer/Choreographer, dies at 88
- 1995 Raymond Rasberry, pianist/singer, dies at 65
- 1997 Henry Vestine, American guitarist (Canned Heat), dies of heart and respiratory failure at 52
- 2005 Shirley Horn, American singer (b. 1934)
- 2014 Pavle Merku, Italian-Slovene composer and ethnomusicologist, dies at 87
- 2015 Cory Wells [Emil Lewandowski], American rock vocalist (3 Dog Night-Joy to the World), dies at 74
- 2015 Don Rendell, English jazz musician and arranger, dies at 89
October in History
![Hurricane on the Way? Don't Worry]()
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![The Tragedy of Aberfan]()
The Tragedy of Aberfan
One hundred and sixteen young children died on this day when an avalanche of coal tip waste and debris thundered down a hillside and engulfed their school.
October 21, 1966![Jumping Jacques Makes First Parachute Descent]()
Jumping Jacques Makes First Parachute Descent
Daredevil André-Jacques Garnerin took to the sky in a hydrogen balloon on this day and after cutting himself adrift performed the first ‘parachute’ descent.
October 22, 1797![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
