Historical Events
- Oct 1 US Office of Strategic Services (OSS), precursor to the CIA, disbands
- Oct 3 Detroit Tigers and Chicago Cubs meet in Baseball World Series for the 4th time; Hank Borowy pitches a 6-hit shutout as Cubs win Game 1, 9-0 at Briggs Stadium; Detroit wins series, 4-3
Elvis Comes Fifth in Talent Show
Oct 3 Elvis Presley's 1st public performance, at age of 10, singing "Old Shep" in youth talent contest at the Mississippi-Alabama Fair and Dairy Show, in Tupelo, Mississippi; contest is broadcast over WELO Radio, he wins fifth prize - $5.00 in fair ride tickets
- Oct 3 World Federation of Trade Unions forms; CIO a member
- Oct 5 "Meet the Press" premieres on radio
- Oct 5 Hollywood Black Friday: A six month strike by Hollywood set decorators turns into a bloody riot at the gates of Warner Brothers' studios.
- Oct 5 Indonesian army forms
Wilhelmina Visits Rotterdam
Oct 5 Queen Wilhelmina visits Rotterdam
Music Premiere
Oct 6 Frédéric Chopin (as adapted by Bronislaw Kaper) and John LaTouche's musical "Polonaise", based on the life of Polish-American patriot Tadeusz Kościuszko, opens at the Alvin Theatre, later transferring to the Adelphi, NYC; runs for 113 performances
- Oct 6 Memorial for executed unveiled in Terbregge
- Oct 6 Tavern owner "Billy Goat" Sianis buys seat for his goat for Game 4 of Baseball World Series, is escorted out and casts goat curse on Chicago Cubs
Eisenhower Visits The Hague
Oct 6 US General Eisenhower welcomed in The Hague (on Hitler's train)
Event of Interest
Oct 8 US President Harry Truman announces atomic bomb secret shared with Britain and Canada
Chinese Civil War
Oct 11 Chinese civil war begins between Kuomintang government led by Chiang Kai-Shek and Mao Zedong's Communist Party
Event of Interest
Oct 17 Loyalty Day in Argentina, mass demonstrations held to release Juan Perón
Music History
Oct 18 Paul Robeson wins Spingarn Medal for singing and acting achievements
- Oct 21 Women in France allowed to vote for 1st time
Contract of Interest
Oct 23 American baseball player Jackie Robinson signs contract with Montreal Royals, minor league farm team of Brooklyn Dodgers
United Nations Charter
Oct 24 Charter of United Nations comes into effect
- Oct 24 In France PC/PS/MRP win parliamentary election (25/24/23%)
Retrocession Day
Oct 25 Japanese surrender Taiwan to General Chiang Kai-shek
Getulio Vargas Resigns
Oct 29 Getulio Vargas, President of Brazil, resigns
- Oct 29 Happy Chandler resigns as US Senator, remains as baseball commissioner
- Oct 30 Branch Rickey signs Jackie Robinson to a contract with the Montreal Royals, the top minor league affiliate of the Brooklyn Dodgers
- Oct 30 US government announces end of shoe rationing
Famous Birthdays
- Oct 1 Donny Hathaway, American singer-songwriter ("Where Is The Love?"), born in Chicago, Illinois (d. 1979)
- Oct 1 Ram Nath Kovind, Indian politician, 14th President of India (2017-), born in Paraukh, British India
Rod Carew (78 years old)
Oct 1 Panamanian Baseball HOF infielder (18 x MLB All Star; AL MVP 1977; 7 × AL batting champion; Minnesota Twins, California Angels), born in Gatún, Panama Canal Zone
- Oct 1 Spider Sabich, American skier (d. 1976)
- Oct 2 Don McLean, American singer and songwriter ("American Pie"; "Vincent"), born in New Rochelle, New York
- Oct 2 Frank Tejeda, American politician (Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Texas), born in San Antonio, Texas (d. 1997)
- Oct 3 Antonio Martinez, Spanish rock guitarist (Los Bravos - "Black Is Black", born in Madrid, Spain (d. 1990)
- Oct 3 Kay Baxter, American bodybuilder (NPC Gold's Classic 1981), born in Monroe County, Ohio (d. 1988)
- Oct 3 Viktor Saneyev, Georgian athlete (Olympics 3 x gold, Soviet Union, triple jump 1968, 72, 76; silver 1980), born in Sukhumi, Georgia (d. 2022)
- Oct 4 Clifton Davis, American actor (That's My Mama; Amen) and singer-songwriter ("Never Can Say Goodbye"), born in Chicago, Illinois
- Oct 5 Brian Connolly, Scottish rock singer (Sweet, 1968-79- "The Ballroom Blitz"), born in Glasgow, Scotland (d. 1997)
- Oct 5 Geoff Leigh, British saxophonist and flute player (Henry Cow), born in Manchester, England
- Oct 6 Dominic Barbara, American celebrity attorney (Howard Stern, Jessica Hahn, Joe Buttafuoco)
- Oct 7 Kevin Godley, English rock drummer, vocalist, and producer (10cc - "I'm Not On Love"), born in Manchester, England
- Oct 8 Joseph Rescigno, American opera conductor (Florentine Opera Company of Milwaukee, 1981-2019), born in Flushing, New York
- Oct 8 Ray Royer, English rock guitarist (Procol Harum - "A Whiter Shade Of Pale"), born in The Pinewoods, Essex
- Oct 8 Vanburn Holder, West Indian cricket fast bowler (40 Tests, 109 wickets; 12 ODIs), born in Deans Village, Saint Michael, Barbados
- Oct 9 Naftali Bon, Kenyan 4x400m runner (Olympic silver 1968), born in Kapsabet, Rift Valley Province, Kenya
- Oct 9 Taiguara [Chalar da Silva], Brazilian singer and songwriter, born in Montevideo, Uruguay (d. 1996)
- Oct 10 Alan Cartwright, British rock bass player (Procol Harum, 1972-77), born in London, England (d. 2020)
- Oct 10 Yuri Kolmakov, Russian biathlete (World C'ship gold relay 1973, 74), born in Malmyzh Nanayskiy, Russia (d. 2022)
- Oct 12 Aurore Clément, French actress (Paris, Texas), born in Soissons, Aisne
- Oct 12 Dusty Rhodes [Virgil Riley Runnels Jr.], American pro wrestler (Pro Wrestling Illustrated Match of the Year 1979, 86; WWE HOF), born in Austin, Texas (d. 2015)
- Oct 12 Paul Harris, American keyboard player (Manassas), and studio musician, born in Dallas Texas
- Oct 13 Chako Higuchi, Japanese golfer (Women's PGA C'ship 1977; first Asian-born player to win a major title), born in Kawagoe, Saitama, Japan
- Oct 13 Christophe [Daniel Bevilacqua], French singer (Aline), born in Juvisy-sur-Orge, Paris
- Oct 13 Dési Bouterse, Surinamese military man, coup leader (de facto dictator, 1980-87), politician (8th President of Suriname, 2010-20), convicted murderer and drug dealer, born in Domburg, Surinam
- Oct 13 Karen Akers, American singer (On Stage at Wolf Trap), born in New York City
- Oct 14 Allan Stone, Australian tennis player (Australian Open doubles 1968, 77; Wimbledon doubles & mixed doubles 1975 runner-up) and broadcaster (7 Network), born in Launceston, Australia
- Oct 14 Colin Hodgkinson, English musician (Whitesnake), born in Peterborough, Cambridgeshire
- Oct 14 Lesley Joseph, British stage and screen actress (Birds of a Feather - "Dorien") and radio broadcaster, born in Finsbury Park, London
Jim Palmer (78 years old)
Oct 15 American Baseball HOF pitcher (6 × MLB All-Star; World Series 1966, 70, 83; AL Cy Young Award 1973, 75, 76; no-hitter 1969; Baltimore Orioles), born in New York City
- Oct 15 Steve Camacho, West Indian cricket batsman (11 Tests, 4 x 50; British Guiana) and executive (CEO WI Cricket Board), born in Georgetown, British Guiana (d. 2015)
- Oct 16 Allan Zavod, Australian classical and jazz pianist and composer, born in Melbourne (d. 2016)
- Oct 16 Paul Monette, American writer and LBT activist, born in Lawrence, Massachusetts (d. 1995)
- Oct 16 Roger Hawkins, American session drummer (the Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section - Wilson Pickett, Aretha Franklin), born in Mishawaka, Indiana (d. 2021)
- Oct 17 Dave Cutler, CFL place kicker (Edmonton Eskimos)
- Oct 18 Christopher Shays, American politician (Rep-R-Connecticut 1987-2009), born in Stamford, Connecticut
- Oct 18 Huell Howser, American TV host
- Oct 18 Yıldo, Turkish famous showman and football player
- Oct 19 Ahmed Abel-Wadoud Karadawi, academic/activist
- Oct 19 Divine [Harris Glenn Milstead], American actress, drag queen and international icon of bad taste cinema (Pink Flamingos; Hairspray), born in Baltimore, Maryland (d. 1988)
- Oct 19 Gloria Jones, American R&B and rock singer-songwriter ("Tainted Love"), theater actress (Hair), and keyboardist (T. Rex, 1973-77), born in Cincinnati, Ohio
- Oct 19 Jeannie C. Riley (née Stephenson), American Grammy and CMA Award-winning pop-country and gospel singer ("Harper Valley P.T.A."), born in Stamford, Texas
John Lithgow (78 years old)
Oct 19 American Tony and Emmy Award-winning stage and screen actor (3rd Rock From The Sun - "Dick"; Harry & Hendersons; The World According to Garp; Shrek), recording artist, poet, and children's book author, born in Rochester, New York
- Oct 19 Keith Reid, British poet and lyricist (Procol Harum - "A Whiter Shade of Pale"), born in Welwyn Garden City, Hertfordshire, England (d. 2023) [1]
- Oct 19 Patricia Ireland, American feminist (National Organization of Women president, 1991-2001), born in Oak Park, Illinois
- Oct 20 Hector the Bulldog, Warner Bros. cartoon character (Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies series), first debuts in "Peck Up Your Troubles"
- Oct 20 Ric Lee, British blues-rock drummer (Ten Years After - "Love Like a Man"), born in Mansfield, England
- Oct 20 Thomas Pasatieri, American opera composer (Frau Margot), born in New York City
- Oct 20 Vladimir Kozlov, Russian cosmonaut, born in Moscow (d. 2012)
- Oct 21 Everett McGill, actor (Jezebel's Kiss, Silver Bullet), born in Miami, Florida
- Oct 21 Kathy Young, American pop singer ("A Thousand Stars" with the Innocents), born in Santa Ana, California
- Oct 21 Nikita Mikhalkov, director (Dark Eyes, Slave of Love)
- Oct 22 Eddie Brigati, American rock vocalist, and songwriter (The Young Rascals, 1964-70 - "Groovin'"; "People Got to Be Free"), born in Garfield, New Jersey
- Oct 22 Leslie West [Weinstein], American rocker (Mountain - "Mississippi Queen"), born in New York City (d. 2020) [1] [2]
- Oct 22 Yvan Ponton, Canadian actor and television host
- Oct 23 Ernie Watts, American jazz, R&B, and pop session and touring soprano and tenor saxophonist (Charlie Haden's Quartet West; Carole King; Frank Zappa; The Rolling Stones), born in Norfolk, Virginia
- Oct 23 Kim Larsen, Danish rock singer ("In the Middle of the Night"), born in Copenhagen (d. 2018)
- Oct 24 Anthony Christian, English artist
- Oct 24 Gérald Larose, Quebec labour union executive, born in Ham-Nord, Quebec
- Oct 25 David Schramm, American astrophysicist (pioneer in establishing particle astrophysics as a vibrant research field), born in St. Louis, Missouri (d. 1997)
- Oct 26 Demetris Th. Gotsis, Greek poet and author, born in Thessaloniki, Greece
Jaclyn Smith (78 years old)
Oct 26 American actress (Charlie's Angels, The Bourne Identity), born in Houston, Texas
- Oct 26 Pat Conroy, American writer (The Great Santini, Prince of Tides), born in Atlanta, Georgia (d. 2016)
- Oct 27 Carrie Snodgress, American actress (Diary of Mad Housewife), born in Barrington, Illinois (d. 2004)
- Oct 27 John Kane, British stage and screen actor (Royal Shakespeare Company; Doctor Who) and screenwriter (Terry and June), born in Dundee, Angus, Scotland
Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (78 years old)
Oct 27 35th President of Brazil (2003-11 and 2023-), born in Caetés, Pernambuco, Brazil
- Oct 28 Dennis Lillie [sic], cricketer (Queensland leg-spinner 1965-66/80-82)
- Oct 28 Wayne Fontana [Glyn Geoffrey Ellis], British rocker (The Mindbenders - "The Game Of Love"), born in Manchester, England (d. 2020)
- Oct 29 Melba Moore [Beatrice], American singer and actress (Ellis Island), born in New York City
- Oct 30 Glenn Poshard, American politician (Rep-D-Illinois), born in Herald, Illinois
Henry Winkler (78 years old)
Oct 30 American actor (Fonz-Happy Days, Night Shift), born in New York City
- Oct 30 Pamelo Mounk'a, Congolese musician, born in Ouesso, Brazzaville (d. 1996)
- Oct 31 (John) "Moon" Martin, American rockabilly singer-songwriter and guitarist ("Bad Case Of Loving You"), born in Altus, Oklahoma (d. 2020) [1] [2]
- Oct 31 Brian Doyle-Murray, American comedian and actor (Groundhog Day), born in Chicago, Illinois
- Oct 31 Rik Kenton, British rock musician (Roxy Music; Woody Kern), born in Nottingham, Nottinghamshire, England
- Oct 31 Russ Ballard, British rock singer, songwriter and guitarist (Argent - "Liar"; "Hold Your Head Up"; "You Can Do Magic"), born in Waltham Cross, Hertfordshire, England
Famous Weddings
Janet Leigh
Oct 5 American actress Janet Leigh (18) weds American sailor Stanley Reames at Morris Chapel in Stockton, California; divorce in 1949
Ava Gardner
Oct 17 American actress Ava Gardner (22) weds American bandleader Artie Shaw (35) in Hollywood; divorce in 1946
Eva Perón & Juan Perón
Oct 22 Argentine military officer and politician Juan Perón (50) weds actress Eva Duarte (26) at a civil ceremony in Junin
Jackson Pollock
Oct 25 Painter Jackson Pollock (33) weds painter Lee Krasner (27)
Famous Deaths
- Oct 1 Walter Bradford Cannon, American physiologist (Traumatic Shock, coined term "fight or flight response"), dies at 73
- Oct 6 Leonardo Conti, Nazi physician, dies by hanging himself while awaiting trial for war crimes at Nuremberg at 45
- Oct 8 Felix Salten [Siegmund Salzmann], Austrian author (Bambi, a Life in the Woods), dies at 76
- Oct 8 Herman Theodoor Colenbrander, Dutch historian, dies at 73
- Oct 12 Jesse James Payne, a sharecropper, lynched in Madison County, Florida
Milton S. Hershey (1857-1945)
Oct 13 American chocolate tycoon (The Hershey Chocolate Company) and philanthropist, dies at 86
Pierre Laval (1883-1945)
Oct 15 Prime Minister of France (1931-32 and 1935-36) and Head of Vichy France (1942-44), executed by firing squad for high treason at 62
Fred Hovey (1868-1945)
Oct 18 American tennis player (US Nationals 1895), dies at 77
- Oct 19 Plutarco Elias Calles, Mexican revolutionary and president (1924-28), dies at 68
- Oct 21 Henry Armetta, Italian-American actor (The Black Cat, Bell for Adano, Big Store), dies from a heart attack at 57
- Oct 24 Robert Ley, German Nazi politician, commits suicide while awaiting trial at Nuremberg at 55
Vidkun Quisling (1887-1945)
Oct 24 Norwegian Minister of Defense and Prime Minister (1942-45), executed for collaborating with the Nazis at 58
- Oct 26 Alexei Krylov, Russian engineer and mathematician, dies at 82
- Oct 26 Paul Pelliot, French Sinologist and Orientalist best known for his explorations of Central Asia and his discovery of many important Chinese texts among the Dunhuang manuscripts, dies at 67
- Oct 29 Hans Erich Blaich [Dr. Owlglass], German writer (Simplicissimus), dies at 72
- Oct 31 Henry Ainley, English actor (As You Like It), dies at 66
- Oct 31 Wincenty Witoz, Polish politician (Prime Minister of Poland 1920-21, 1923, 1926), dies at 71
