Historical Events
The Dream of Gerontius
Oct 3 Edward Elgar and Cardinal Newman's oratorium "The Dream of Gerontius" premieres in Birmingham, England
- Oct 4 In a final confrontation, around 4,000 Ashantis are defeated by the British in the Gold Coast (Ghana)
US Golf Open
Oct 5 US Open Men's Golf, Chicago GC: Harry Vardon of Jersey wins his only US title; beats Englishman J.H. Taylor by 2 strokes
- Oct 6 Britain annexes Orange Free State (as Orange River Colony)
- Oct 7 The term "orienteering" is first used for an event
- Oct 9 8.3 magnitude earthquake shakes Cape Yakataga, Alaska
- Oct 10 Foreign ministers in Peking begin their first serious negotiations over what conditions their nations will impose on the Chinese after putting down the Boxer uprising
- Oct 10 In Manchuria, Russia captures the major city of Mukden, part of their own plan to take over the whole province
USS Holland (SS-1)
Oct 12 The first modern submarine is commissioned by the U.S. Navy as the USS Holland, named for its designer John Philip Holland
- Oct 16 Great Britain and Germany sign the Anglo-German Treaty, agreeing to maintain territorial integrity of China and support 'open door' policy called for by US Secretary of State
Bernhard von Bülow
Oct 17 Bernhard von Bülow becomes German Chancellor
South African History
Oct 19 South African President of Transvaal Paul Kruger departs for Europe
Ban Johnson Seeks a Deal
Oct 31 AL President Ban Johnson writes to NL President Nick Young seeking peace
Famous Birthdays
Coco the Clown (1900-1974)
Oct 2 Russian-born British clown famous in the mid-20th century, born in Dvinsk, Russian Empire
- Oct 3 Jay Irving, American cartoonist (Draw Me a Laugh), born in New York City (d. 1970)
Thomas Wolfe (1900-1938)
Oct 3 American novelist (Look Homeward Angel), born in Asheville, North Carolina
Heinrich Himmler (1900-1945)
Oct 7 German Nazi and head of the Gestapo, born in Munich, Germany
- Oct 8 Geoffrey Jellicoe, English landscape architect (Shute House), born in London (d. 1996)
- Oct 8 Serge Chermayeff, Russian-British architect and designer, born in Grozny, Russia (d. 1996)
- Oct 8 Zeno Vancea, Romanian composer, born in Bocsa, Romania (d. 1990)
- Oct 9 Alastair Sim, Scottish actor (Christmas Carol, Stage Fright), born in Edinburgh, Scotland (d. 1976)
- Oct 9 Silvio Cator, Haitian athlete and long jumper (Olympic silver 1928), born in Cavaellon, Haiti (d. 1952)
Helen Hayes (1900-1993)
Oct 10 American actress (Caesar & Cleopatra, Happy Birthday), and 1st female EGOT (Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and Tony Award winner), born in Washington, D.C.
- Oct 13 Gerald Marks, American songwriter ("All of Me"), born in Saginaw, Michigan (d. 1997)
- Oct 13 Marius-François Gaillard, French pianist (DeBussy), conductor and composer (La passion noire), born in Paris (d. 1973)
- Oct 14 Eddie McLeod, New Zealand cricketer (played in NZ's 2nd-ever Test 1930), born in Auckland, New Zealand (d. 1989)
- Oct 15 Fritz Feld, German actor (Jack Benny Show, At the Circus, Errand Boy, Promises Promises), born in Berlin, Germany (d. 1993)
- Oct 15 Mervyn LeRoy, American movie producer (Devil at 4 O'Clock), born in San Francisco, California (d. 1987)
- Oct 16 Edward Ardizzone, artist and illustrator (d. 1979)
- Oct 16 Goose Goslin, American Baseball HOF left fielder (World Series 1924 Washington Sens, 1935 Detroit Tigers; AL batting champion 1928; MLB All Star 1936), born in Salem, New Jersey (d. 1971)
- Oct 16 Lloyd Corrigan, American actor (Papa Dodger, The Manchurian Candidate), born in San Francisco, California (d. 1969)
- Oct 16 Primo Conti, Italian painter (d. 1988)
- Oct 17 Jean Arthur [Gladys Greene], American stage, silent and sound screen actress (Shane; Mr. Smith Goes to Washington; Mr. Deeds Goes to Town), born in Plattsburgh, New York (d. 1991)
Bill Ponsford (1900-1991)
Oct 19 Australian cricket batsman (29 Tests @ 48 22, 7 x 100s; 1st-class 13,819 runs @ 65.18; Victoria), born in Melbourne, Australia
- Oct 19 Erna Berger, German lyric soprano, and voice teacher, born in Dresden, Germany (d. 1990)
- Oct 19 Roy Worters, Canadian Hockey HOF goaltender (Hart Memorial Trophy 1929; Vezina Trophy 1931; NY Americans), born in Toronto, Ontario (d. 1957)
- Oct 19 Teodoro Valcárcel, Peruvian classical composer, born in Puno, Peru (d. 1942)
- Oct 20 Rodolfo Halffter, Spanish composer, and music critic, born in Madrid, Spain (d. 1987)
- Oct 20 Wayne Morse, American politician (Senator-(R&D)-Oregon 1945-69), born in Madison, Wisconsin (d. 1974)
- Oct 22 Edward Stettinius Jr. 48th US Secretary of State (1944-45) and diplomat, born in Chicago, Illinois (d. 1949)
- Oct 22 James Hall, American actor (Hell's Angels, Four Sons), born in Dallas, Texas (d. 1940)
- Oct 23 Douglas Jardine, English cricket batsman (22 Tests, 1 x 100, 10 x 50, HS 127; England's Bodyline Series captain; Oxford Uni CC, Surrey CCC, MCC), born in Bombay, British India (d. 1958)
- Oct 24 Elizabeth Hill, Russian-English teacher of Salvonic languages, born in St. Petersburg, Russia (d. 1996)
- Oct 24 Karl Ottó Runólfsson, Icelandic composer, born in Reykjavik, Iceland (d. 1970)
- Oct 26 Ibrahim Abboud, 1st President and 4th Prime Minister of Sudan (1958-64), born in Suakin, Sudan (d. 1983)
- Oct 26 Karin Boye, writer (Kallocain), born in Gothenburg, Sweden (d. 1941)
- Oct 26 Mark Sandrich [Goldstein], American film director, writer and producer (The Gay Divorcee; Top Hat; Holiday Inn), born in New York City (d. 1945)
Ragnar Granit (1900-1991)
Oct 30 Finnish neuroscientist and physiologist (Nobel 1967 - discoveries concerning the primary physiological and chemical visual processes in the eye), born in Helsinge, Finland
- Oct 31 Cal Hubbard, American Baseball HOF umpire (AL 1936-51) and Pro/College Football HOF tackle (4 × NFL C'ship 1927, 29–31; 4 × First-team All-Pro; NY Giants, GB Packers), born in Keytesville, Missouri (d. 1977)
Famous Weddings
- Oct 2 Belgium crown prince Albert von Saksen-Coburg weds Elisabeth of Bayern
Famous Deaths
- Oct 9 Heinrich von Herzogenberg, Austrian composer, dies at 57
- Oct 14 Albert de Vriendt, Flemish historical painter and etcher, dies at 56
- Oct 14 Sandor Erkel, Hungarian composer and son of Ferenc Erkel, dies at 54
- Oct 15 Zdenek Fibich, Czech classical composer (Šárka; The Bride of Messina), dies at 49
- Oct 20 Charles Dudley Warner, American novelist (As We Go), dies at 70
- Oct 20 Naim Frashëri, Albanian poet and writer, dies at 54
- Oct 28 Max Müller, German-born British orientalist, dies at 76 (b. 1823)
