What Happened in October 1946

Historical Events

  • Oct 1 12 Nazi war criminals sentenced to death in Nuremberg

Baseball Record

Oct 1 Cleveland Indians pitcher Bob Feller claims his MLB record 348th strikeout of season in a 4-1 win over Detroit; record stands for 19 years

  • Oct 1 St. Louis Cardinals beats Brooklyn Dodgers, 4-2 in first MLB play-off game for a league championship (NL); St Louis wins series, 2-0
  • Oct 2 1st network soap opera "Faraway Hill" begins broadcasting on DuMont Television Network
  • Oct 5 "Yours Is My Heart" closes at Shubert Theater NYC after 36 performances
  • Oct 5 1st Cannes Film Festival ends
  • Oct 5 Newcastle United equals English Football League record for biggest winning margin in a 13-0 thrashing of Newport in a Division 2 match at St. James' Park; Len Shackleton scores 6, Charlie Wayman 4 for the Toon
  • Oct 6 90°F highest temperature ever recorded in Cleveland in Oct
  • Oct 6 US President Harry Truman questions Great Britain Jews about Palestine

String Quartet No. 2

Oct 7 Charles Ives' 2nd string quartet premieres

  • Oct 8 Military plane crashes at Christian HBS, 24 die

The Iceman Cometh

Oct 9 Eugene O'Neill's play "The Iceman Cometh" premieres in NYC

  • Oct 9 First electric blanket manufactured; sold for $39.50
  • Oct 10 Max Frisch's play "Die Chinesische Mauer" (The Chinese Wall) premieres in Zürich
  • Oct 11 New York Yankees trade infielder Joe Gordon to Cleveland Indians for pitcher Allie Reynolds
  • Oct 14 Netherland & Indonesia sign cease fire
  • Oct 15 Baseball World Series: St Louis Cardinals beat Boston Red Sox, 4-3 at Sportsman's Park to clinch series, 4 games to 3; Cards 6th championship

Music Premiere

Oct 18 Aaron Copland's 3rd Symphony first performance, with the Boston Symphony Orchestra led by Serge Koussevitzky

  • Oct 20 Frank Seno returns kickoff 105 yd, Chicago Cards vs NY Giants
  • Oct 22 2 British ships sink near Albania
  • Oct 23 UN General Assembly 2nd session convenes (1st NYC-Flushing Meadows)
  • Oct 24 A camera on board the V-2 No. 13 rocket, launched from Whites Sands US, takes the first photograph of earth from outer space.
  • Oct 24 Netherlands & Indonesia sign cease fire
  • Oct 27 Georgi Domitrovs National Front wins Bulgaria elections (78%)
  • Oct 28 German rocket engineers begin work in USSR

Famous Birthdays

Birthdays 1 - 100 of 120

  • Oct 1 Ewa Klobukowska, Polish athlete (Olympic gold 4x100m relay 1964), born in Warsaw, Poland
  • Oct 2 Eric Peterson, Canadian actor (Street Legal), born in Indian Head, Saskatchewan, Canada
  • Oct 2 Jo-El Sonnier, American country singer (Louisiana), born in Rayne, Louisiana
  • Oct 2 Roger Jett, American actor (Smithereens), born in Cumberland, Maryland
  • Oct 3 (Richard) "Biff" Henderson, American television personality (Late Night/Late Show with David Letterman), born in Durham, North Carolina
  • Oct 3 Bob Dotson, newscaster (Primetime Sunday), born in St Louis, Missouri
  • Oct 3 P.P. Arnold [Patricia Ann Cole], American soul singer (Ike and Tina Turner revue; "The First Cut Is The Deepest"), born in Los Angeles, California
  • Oct 3 Tristan Keuris, Dutch composer (Sinfonia), born in Amersfoort, Utrecht, Netherlands (d. 1996)
  • Oct 4 André Bolhuis, Dutch field hockey player, coach and administrator (World Cup gold 1973; president Dutch Field Hockey Federation; chairman Dutch Olympic Committee), born in Zeist, Netherlands
  • Oct 4 Chuck Hagel, American politician

Susan Sarandon (77 years old)

Oct 4 American actress (Dead Man Walking, The Client) also known for her social and political activism, born in Queens, New York

  • Oct 5 Jean Perron, Canadian ice hockey coach, born in Saint-Isidore-d'Auckland, Quebec, Canada
  • Oct 5 Marvin "Popcorn" Sutton, American Appalachian moonshiner, bootlegger, and how-to book author (Me and My Likker), born in Maggie Valley, North Carolina (d. 2009)
  • Oct 5 Richard Kermode, American rocker (Kozmic Blues Band), born in Wyoming (d. 1996)
  • Oct 5 Zahida Hina, Pakistani columnist, born in Sahasram, Bihar, British India
  • Oct 6 Aleksandr Dronov, Russian Chess Grandmaster (3 x World Correspondence Champion), born in Moscow, Russia (d. 2023)
  • Oct 6 Eddie Villanueva, JIL Spiritual Director, Owner of ZOE Broadcasting Network
  • Oct 6 Gary Gentry, baseball player (NY Mets)
  • Oct 6 György Kottán, Hungarian soccer manager (Bangladesh 2000-03; Pakistan 2009-10), born in Budapest, Hungary (d. 2023)
  • Oct 6 Lloyd Doggett, American attorney and politician (US Representative, Democrat, Texas), born in Austin, Texas
  • Oct 6 Millie Small, Jamaican ska singer, and songwriter ("My Boy Lollipop"), born in Clarendon, Jamaica (d. 2020)

Tony Greig (1946-2012)

Oct 6 English cricket captain, all-rounder (1972-77) and commentator, born in Queenstown, South Africa

  • Oct 6 Vinod Khanna, Indian Bollywood actor (Mera Gaon Mera Desh), born in Peshawar (d. 2017)
  • Oct 7 Anita Shreve, American writer (Weight of Water, Past the Island; Drifting), born in Boston, Massachusetts (d. 2018)
  • Oct 7 Bernard Lavilliers [Oulion], French jazz singer and songwriter, born in Saint-Étienne, France
  • Oct 7 Pengiran Anak Saleha, Queen of Brunei, born in Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei
  • Oct 8 Aleksandr Gorshkov, Russian ice dancer (World C'ship gold x 6; Olympic gold USSR 1976; with Lyudmila Pakhomova), born in Moscow, Russia (d. 2022)
  • Oct 8 Brian Lockwood, English rugby league utility forward (16 Tests GB, 3 England; Castleford, Canterbury-Bankstown, Balmain, Wakefield Trinity, Hull KR), born in Oldham, England
  • Oct 8 Dennis Kucinich, American politician (Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Ohio), born in Cleveland, Ohio
  • Oct 8 Jean-Jacques Beineix, French film director (Betty Blue, Diva), born in Paris, France
  • Oct 8 Paul Splittorff, American MLB pitcher and broadcaster (KC Royals), born in Evansville, Indiana (d. 2011)
  • Oct 10 Ben Vereen, American Tony Award-winning actor, singer, and dancer (Jesus Christ Superstar; Pippin; Roots; Tenspeed and Brown Shoe; Webster), born in Miami, Florida
  • Oct 10 Charles Dance, British actor (Alien 3; Game Of Thrones; Jewel in the Crown), born in Redditch, Worcestershire
  • Oct 10 Chris Tarrant, British TV presenter (Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?), born in Reading, Berkshire, England
  • Oct 10 Franco Malerba, Italian astronaut (STS 46), born in Genoa, Italy
  • Oct 10 John Prine, American country folk singer-songwriter ("Hello in There"; "Angel From Montgomery"; "Summer's End"), born in Maywood, Illinois (d. 2020)
  • Oct 10 Mildred Grieveson, Britlish writer (Leopard in the Snow), born in England
  • Oct 10 Naoto Kan, Japanese politician (61st Prime Minister of Japan), born in Ube, Yamaguchi, Japan
  • Oct 10 Pete Mahvolich, Canadian ice hockey center (Stanley Cup 1971, 73, 76, 77 Montreal Canadiens; Canada Cup 1976), born in Timmins, Ontario
  • Oct 10 Willard White, Jamaican-British operatic bass baritone, born in Kingston, Jamaica
  • Oct 11 Daryl Hall [Hohl], American rocker, soul singer and songwriter (Hall & Oates - "Sara Smile"; "She's Gone"), born in Pottstown, Pennsylvania
  • Oct 11 Felton Perry, American actor (Magnum Force, Sudden Death), born in Chicago, Illinois
  • Oct 11 Gary Mallaber, American drummer (The Steve Miller Band - "Abracadbra"; "The Joker"), born in Buffalo, New York
  • Oct 11 James Robison, American novelist (The Illustrator), and poet (I see men like trees, walking), born in Worthington, Ohio
  • Oct 11 Oba Chandler, American convicted murderer, born in Cincinnati, Ohio (d. 2011)
  • Oct 11 Sawao Kato, Japanese gymnast (8 Olympic gold 1968, 72, 76), born in Gosen, Japan
  • Oct 12 Ashok Mankad, Indian cricket batsman (22 Tests, 6 x 50; Bombay), born in Mumbai, India (d. 2008)
  • Oct 12 Chris Nicholl, Irish soccer centre-back (51 caps Northern Ireland; Aston Villa 210 games, Southampton 228 games) and manager (Southampton 1985–91, Walsall 1994–97), born in Wilmslow, England (d. 2024)
  • Oct 12 Daryl Runswick, British composer, arranger, musician, producer and educator, born in Leicester, England
  • Oct 13 Bram Vermeulen, Dutch singer (Neerlands Hoop), born in The Hague, Netherlands
  • Oct 13 Demond Wilson, American actor (Sanford & Son, Baby I'm Back), born in Valdosta, Georgia
  • Oct 13 Dorothy Moore, American blues, gospel, and R&B singer ("Misty Blue"), born in Jackson, Mississippi
  • Oct 13 Edwina Currie, British politician (C), born in Liverpool, England
  • Oct 13 Lacy J. Dalton, American country singer ("Crazy Blue Eyes"), born in Bloomsburg, Pennsylvania [1]
  • Oct 14 Al Oliver, American baseball outfielder (7-time MLB All Star; Pittsburgh Pirates), born in Portsmouth, Ohio
  • Oct 14 Craig Venter, American biotechnologist and geneticist (involved with the first draft sequence of the human genome), born in Salt Lake City, Utah
  • Oct 14 Dan McCafferty, Scottish rock vocalist (Nazareth - "Love Hurts"), born in Dunfermline, Scotland (d. 2022)
  • Oct 14 James Robert "Radio" Kennedy, American football coach, born in Anderson, South Carolina
  • Oct 14 Justin Hayward, British rock singer-songwriter, and guitarist (Moody Blues - "Nights in White Satin"; "Your Wildest Dreams"), born in Swindon, Wiltshire, England
  • Oct 15 Richard Carpenter, American pop pianist, songwriter, arranger, and producer (The Carpenters - "Close to You"), born in New Haven, Connecticut
  • Oct 15 Stewart Stevenson, Scottish National Party politician, born in Edinburgh, Scotland
  • Oct 15 Victor Banerjee, Indian actor (A Passage to India), born in Calcutta, India
  • Oct 16 Suzanne Somers (née Mahoney), American actress (Three's Company, 1977-81 - "Chrissy"; Step by Step), born in San Bruno, California (d. 2023)
  • Oct 16 Tariq Yunus, Indian actor (Bollywood; Ashanti; Deceivers), born in Karachi, India (d. 1994)
  • Oct 17 Adam Michnik, Polish activist
  • Oct 17 Bob Seagren, American pole vaulter/actor (Olympic gold 1968, "Soap"), born in Pomona California
  • Oct 17 Drusilla Modjeska, Australian writer and editor
  • Oct 17 Herb Orvis, American College Football Hall of Fame defensive tackle (University of Colorado; NFL: Detroit Lions, Baltimore Colts), born in Petoskey, Michigan (d. 2020)
  • Oct 17 James Ray "Jim" Tucker, American rock guitarist (Turtles - "Happy Together"), born in Los Angeles, California
  • Oct 17 Michael Hossack, American rock drummer (The Doobie Brothers, 1971-73 & 1987-2012), born in Paterson, New Jersey (d. 2012)
  • Oct 17 Sir Cameron Mackintosh, British stage producer
  • Oct 17 Vicki Hodge, actress (Confessions of a Sex Maniac), born in London, England
  • Oct 18 Howard Shore, Canadian television and film composer (Lord of the Rings trilogy; 1st music director of Saturday Night Live), born in Toronto, Canada
  • Oct 18 James Robert Baker, American novelist, screenwriter
  • Oct 19 Bob Holland, cricketer (Australian leg-spinner at age 38)
  • Oct 19 Kenneth Washington, African-American actor (Sgt Richard Baker-Hogan's Heroes, Westworld)
  • Oct 19 Philip Pullman, English writer
  • Oct 20 Elfriede Jelinek, Austrian novelist, poet, and playwright (Nobel Prize for Literature, 2004 -The Piano Teacher), born in Mürzzuschlag, Austria
  • Oct 20 Lucien Van Impe, Belgian cyclist (winner Tour de France 1976), born in Mere, Belgium
  • Oct 21 Goyo Rubio, Spanish soccer defender (22 caps; Real Madrid 317 games), born in Puente del Arzobispo, Spain (d. 2020)
  • Oct 21 Jim Hill, American sportscaster
  • Oct 21 Lee Loughnane, American horn player and songwriter (Chicago), born in Elmwood Park, Illinois
  • Oct 21 Lux Interior [Erick Lee Purkhiser], American punk rock singer (The Cramps), born in Akron, Ohio (d. 2009)
  • Oct 21 Phil Chen, Chinese-Jamaican rock session and touring bassist (Jeff Beck, 1974-76; Rod Stewart, 1977-80; Ray Manzarek and Robby Krieger), born in Kingston, Jamaica (d. 2021)
  • Oct 21 Phil Ryan, Welsh keyboardist and composer (Man, Pete Brown), born in Port Talbot, Wales (d. 2016)
  • Oct 21 Tetsu Yamauchi, Japanese rock bass guitarist (Free; The Faces), born in Fukuoka, Japan
  • Oct 22 Claude Charron, French Canadian politician and TV personality
  • Oct 22 Kelvin MacKenzie, British media tycoon
  • Oct 22 Richard Loncraine, director (Missionary, Deep Cover, Bellman & True)
  • Oct 23 Gerda Havertong, Surinam-Dutch singer and actress (Sesame Street), born in Paramaribo, Suriname
  • Oct 23 Mel Martinez, American politician (Senator-R-Florida 2005-9), born in Sagua La Grande, Cuba
  • Oct 23 Miklós Németh, Hungarian athlete (Olympic gold javelin 1976), born in Budapest, Hungary
  • Oct 24 Jerry Edmonton, Canadian rock drummer (Steppenwolf), born in Oshawa, Ontario (d. 1993)
  • Oct 24 John Bettis, American lyricist ("Top Of The World"; "Crazy For You"; "Slow Hand"), born in Long Beach, California
  • Oct 25 Peter Lieberson, American contemporary classical composer (Red Garuda; Neruda Songs), born in New York City (d. 2011)
  • Oct 26 Holly Woodlawn, transgender Puerto Rican actress (Warhol films), born in Juana Díaz (d. 2015)
  • Oct 26 Keith Hopwood, British rock guitarist (Herman's Hermits - "Mrs. Brown You've Got A Lovely Daughter"), born in Davyhulme, Manchester, England
  • Oct 26 Maureen Anderman, American actress (Once Upon a Family, Rupture Fatale), born in Detroit, Michigan

Pat Sajak (77 years old)

Oct 26 American TV host (Wheel of Fortune, Pat Sajak Show), born in Chicago, Illinois

Ivan Reitman (1946-2022)

Oct 27 Slovak-Canadian director and producer (Stripes; Ghostbusters; Dave; Private Parts), born in Komárno, Slovakia


Famous Deaths

  • Oct 4 Barney Oldfield, American auto racer (International Motorsports Hall of Fame; first to drive at 60mph on circular track), dies of a heart attack at 67
  • Oct 8 Rose Melville, American stage actress (Sis Hopkins), dies at 73
  • Oct 11 Ico Hitrec, Croatian footballer, dies at 35
  • Oct 12 Joseph W. Stilwell, American general (commanded U.S. forces in China, Burma, and India in WWII), dies at 63

Hermann Goering (1893-1946)

Oct 15 German Nazi Party leader, convicted war criminal, Vice-Chancellor of Germany (1941-45) and World War I fighter pilot ace, poisons himself in prison at 53

Alfred Jodl (1890-1946)

Oct 16 German general during World War II (head of the German High Command, signed unconditional Nazi surrender), hanged by Allied forces after the Nuremberg trials at 56

  • Oct 16 Alfred Rosenberg, German war criminal, hanged
  • Oct 16 Arthur Seyss-Inquart, Austrian Nazi politician (Austrian Chancellor, 1938), and war criminal responsible for deportation of Dutch Jews, hanged at 54
  • Oct 16 Ernst Kaltenbrunner, Austrian Nazi (SS/SD), hanged at 43
  • Oct 16 Fritz Sauckel, German Nazi politician (General Plenipotentiary for Labour Deployment, 1942-45), and convicted war criminal, hanged at 51
  • Oct 16 Granville Bantock, English composer and conductor (Hebridean Symphony), dies at 78

Hans Frank (1900-1946)

Oct 16 German Nazi Governor General of Occupied Poland, hanged by Allied forces after the Nuremberg war trials at 46

  • Oct 16 Wilhelm Frick, German leading Nazi official and war criminal (Minister of the Interior, responsible for concentration camps), hanged for crimes against humanity at 69

Wilhelm Keitel (1882-1946)

Oct 16 Nazi military leader (head of the German High Command), is hanged at Nuremberg at 64