What Happened in October 2011

Historical Events

Appointment of Interest

Oct 1 Martin Dempsey is appointed US Joint Chiefs of Staff by President Obama

Homeland

Oct 2 TV spy drama "Homeland" starring Claire Danes and Damian Lewis premieres on Showtime

Event of Interest

Oct 4 US State Department lists Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi (ISIL) as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist with a $10 million reward for information leading to his capture

  • Oct 8 Irish professional darts player Brendan Dolan plays 1st perfect 9 dart game on TV in semi-final against James Wade at PDC World Darts Championship in Dublin

F1 World Champion

Oct 9 German Red Bull driver Sebastian Vettel finishes 3rd in the Japanese F1 Grand Prix to clinch his second consecutive World Drivers Championship

  • Oct 13 Italian conductor Riccardo Muti is awarded the second $1 million Birgit Nilsson Prize
  • Oct 15 Global protests break out in 951 cities in 82 countries
  • Oct 15 Legoland Florida (the world's largest Legoland theme park) opens in Winter Haven, Florida
  • Oct 15 MLB American League Championship: Texas Rangers beat Detroit Tigers, 4 games to 2
  • Oct 16 MLB National League Championship: St. Louis Cardinals beat Milwaukee Brewers, 4 games to 2
  • Oct 18 Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit is released by Hamas
  • Oct 20 "Water by the Spoonful" play by Quiara Alegría Hudes opens at the Hartford Stage (Pulitzer Prize for Drama 2012) [1]

Battle of Interest

Oct 20 The former leader of Libya, Muammar Gaddafi, and his son Moatassem Gaddafi are killed shortly after the battle of Sirte (2011) while in the custody of NTC fighters.

  • Oct 23 7th Rugby World Cup Final, Eden Park, Auckland: Tournament favourites New Zealand edge France, 8-7; crowd 61,079
  • Oct 23 A powerful 7.2 magnitude earthquake strikes Van Province, Turkey, killing 582 people and injuring thousands.
  • Oct 27 MLB World Series Game 6: St. Louis Cardinal 3B David Freese hits game-tying 2 run triple with 2 outs in the 9th and then hits walk-off home run in the 11th
  • Oct 27 Royal Australian Navy announces discovery of wreck of a World War II submarine (likely Japanese) in Simpson Harbour, Papua New Guinea during Operation RENDER SAFE
  • Oct 28 Baseball World Series: St. Louis beats Texas Rangers, 6-2 in Game 7 at Busch Stadium to win Cardinals' 11th title; MVP: Cardinals 3rd baseman David Freese
  • Oct 29 Record-breaking snowstorm in the northeastern United States leaves nearly 2 million residents without power for more than 36 hours.

The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part 1

Oct 30 "The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part 1" based on the book by Stephenie Meyer, directed by Bill Condon, starring Kristen Stewart and Robert Pattinson, premieres at the Rome Film Festival

Sports History

Oct 30 Czech tennis star Petra Kvitová beats Victoria Azarenka of Belarus 7–5, 4–6, 6–3 in the WTA Championship decider in Istanbul, Turkey

  • Oct 31 The world population reaches 7 billion inhabitants according to the United Nations
2011 History

Famous Birthdays

  • Oct 6 Ryan Kaji, American Youtuber (Ryan's World), born in California
Born in 2011

Famous Weddings

  • Oct 1 Israeli-American "KISS" bassist Gene Simmons (62) weds Canadian actress and model Shannon Tweed (55), after 28 years of couplehood, at the historic Beverly Hills Hotel in Beverly Hills, California

Seth Rogen

Oct 2 Canadian stand-up comedian and actor Seth Rogen (30) weds screenwriter Lauren Miller at Kunde Family Estate in Sonoma, California

Paul McCartney

Oct 9 Musician Paul McCartney (69) weds New Yorker Nancy Shevell (51) in a civil ceremony at Old Marylebone Town Hall, London

  • Oct 9 TV personality Layla Kayleigh (22) weds Radio Talk Show Host/DJ Steve Covino (36) in Las Vegas, Nevada
  • Oct 13 Queen consort of Bhutan Jetsun Pema (21) weds Dragon King of Bhutan Jigme Khesar Namgyal Wangchuck (31) at Punakha Dzong in Punakha, Bhutan

Shannen Doherty

Oct 15 "Charmed" TV actress Shannen Doherty (40) weds photographer Kurt Iswarienko (37) in Malibu

  • Oct 16 Actress, screenwriter and model Nikki Reed (24) weds singer-songwriter Paul McDonald (27) at a private ranch in Malibu, California
  • Oct 18 American actress, model, and singer Bijou Phillips (32) weds American "That '70s Show" actor and disc jockey Danny Masterson (36) at a private castle in Ireland; separate in 2023
  • Oct 22 "The Bachelorette" TV personality DeAnna Pappas (29) weds Stephen Stagliano (27) in Georgia

Robin Williams

Oct 22 Actor and comedian Robin Williams (60) weds graphic designer Susan Schneider at the luxurious Meadow Wood Resort in the Napa Valley town of St. Helena, California

  • Oct 22 Former US Senator John Edwards's daughter Cate Edwards (29) weds Trevor Upham (30) in Chapel Hill, North Carolina
  • Oct 29 Actress Eva Amurri (26) weds former Major League Soccer player Kyle Martino (31) in Charleston, South Carolina

Famous Divorces

Kim Kardashian

Oct 31 Socialite and model Kim Kardashian (31) divorces basketball player Kris Humphries (26) due to irreconcilable differences only 72 days after getting married

Famous Deaths

  • Oct 1 David Vickerman Bedford, British composer and educator, dies at 74
  • Oct 1 Johnny Schmitz, American baseball pitcher (MLB All-Star 1946, 48; NL saves leader 1946), dies at 90
  • Oct 1 Sven Tumba, Swedish ice hockey center, football winger, golfer, golf course designer, dies of a hip infection at 80
  • Oct 5 Bert Jansch, Scottish folk musician (Pentangle), dies of lung cancer at 67
  • Oct 5 Charles Napier, American actor (Night Stalker, Rambo), dies at 75
  • Oct 5 Derrick Bell, American legal scholar and civil rights advocate (b. 1930)
  • Oct 5 Graham Dilley, English cricket fast bowler (41 Tests, 138 wickets; Kent CCC, Worcestershire CCC), dies from oesophageal cancer at 52

Steve Jobs (1955-2011)

Oct 5 American computer entrepreneur and co-founder of Apple, dies of respiratory arrest related to cancer at 56

  • Oct 6 Brad Felt, American jazz tuba and euphonium player, composer, and bandleader, dies of pancreatic cancer at 55
  • Oct 6 Diane Cilento, Australian actress (Agony & Ecstasy, Wicker Man), dies at 79
  • Oct 7 George Baker, Bulgarian-born British actor (I, Claudius, Goodbye Mr Chips, Curse of the Fly), dies at 80
  • Oct 7 John Alderson, English police officer, introduced community policing (Chief Constable Devon & Cornwall), dies at 89
  • Oct 7 Ramiz Alia, Communist leader and first President of Albania (1982-92), dies at 85

Al Davis (1929-2011)

Oct 8 American businessman and NFL executive (owner Oakland Raiders), dies of heart failure at 82

  • Oct 8 Antonio Iglesias Álvares, Spanish pianist, composer, educator and critic, dies at 93
  • Oct 8 Mikey Welsh, American bass player (Weezer, 1998-2001 - "Island In The Sun"), dies of a drug overdose at 40
  • Oct 8 Roger Williams [Louis Jacob Weertz], American popular music pianist ("Born Free"), dies of pancreatic cancer at 87
  • Oct 9 Mark Kingston, English actor (Intimate Contact), dies at 77
  • Oct 9 Pavel Karelin, Russian ski jumper (b. 1989)
  • Oct 10 Jagjit Singh, Indian Musician, Ghazal Maestro, Padma Bhusan awardee (b. 1941)
  • Oct 12 Dennis Ritchie, American computer scientist (created C programming language, helped developed Unix), dies at 70
  • Oct 12 Heinz Bennent, German actor (Possession, The Serpent's Egg), dies at 90
  • Oct 12 Joel "Taz" DiGregorio, American country-rock keyboardist (Charlie Daniels Band), killed in a car accident at 67 [1]
  • Oct 12 Patricia Breslin, American television and film actress dies at 80
  • Oct 12 Peter Hammond, British actor and director (The Buccaneers, King of the Castle), dies at 87
  • Oct 13 Barbara Kent, Canadian born - U.S. silent film actress and WAMPAS Baby Stars (b.1907)
  • Oct 14 Chuck Ruff, American rock drummer (Edgar Winter Group - "Frankenstein"), dies after a long illness at 60
  • Oct 14 Reg Alcock, Canadian politician (b. 1948)
  • Oct 15 Elizabeth "Betty" Driver, British singer and actress (Coronation Street; Pardon the Expression), dies from pneumonia at 91
  • Oct 15 Matthew G. Martinez, American politician (Rep-D+R-CA, 1982-2001), dies at 82

Dan Wheldon (1978-2011)

Oct 16 British race car driver (Indianapolis 500, 2005 & 2011), dies in multi car crash at IndyCar World Championship at Las Vegas, Nevada at 33

  • Oct 16 Pete Rugolo, American bandleader and arranger (Fugitive), dies at 95
  • Oct 17 Carl Lindner, Jr., Cincinnati businessman and one of the world's richest people (b. 1919)
  • Oct 18 Kent Hull, American football center (First-team All-Pro 1990, 91; Pro Bowl 1988, 89, 90; Buffalo Bills), dies from chronic liver disease at 50
  • Oct 18 Norman Corwin, American screenwriter for radio drama, dies at 101
  • Oct 20 Barry Feinstein, American portrait photographer and album cover designer (Bob Dylan; Peter, Paul & Mary; Janis Joplin; George Harrison), dies at 80
  • Oct 20 Moatassem Gaddafi, Son of Moammar Gaddafi and National Security Adviser of Libya (b. 1977)

Muammar Gaddafi (1942-2011)

Oct 20 Libyan revolutionary, political theorist and dictator (1969-2011), beaten to death in captivity by a Misratan militia at about 69

  • Oct 20 Tone Pavček, Slovenian poet and translator (b. 1928)
  • Oct 21 Edmundo Ros, Trinidadian-Venezuelan musician and arranger, dies at 100
  • Oct 22 Karl-Heinz Köper, German conductor, and composer (Tuba-Tabu; Pop Corn Concerto), dies at 84
  • Oct 22 Sultan bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Saudi Crown Prince (2005-11), dies at 82 or 83
  • Oct 23 Herbert A. Hauptman, American mathematician whose models for determining the chemical crystal structures vital for life revolutionized chemistry (Nobel 1985), dies at 94
  • Oct 23 Marco Simoncelli, Italian motorcycle racer (250cc World Championship 2008), dies in a track accident at 24

John McCarthy (1927-2011)

Oct 24 American computer scientist (coined the term "artificial intelligence," created the Lisp programming language), dies at 84

  • Oct 25 Anna van Beers [Graeve], Dutch actress (A Woman like Eve, Diary of a Hooker), dies at 95
  • Oct 25 Howard Wolpe, American politician (Rep-D-MI, 1979-93), dies at 71
  • Oct 27 James Hillman, American psychologist, and educator (C.G. Jung Institute, Zurich), dies from bone cancer at 85
  • Oct 28 Beryl Davis, British-American cabaret and big band singer (Quintette du Hot Club de France, Glenn Miller's US Army Air Force Orchestra), dies of complications from Alzheimer's disease at 87
  • Oct 29 Jimmy Savile, British entertainer and suspected sexual predator, dies at 84
  • Oct 31 Flórián Albert, Hungarian footballer (European Footballer of the Year 1967), dies at 70
  • Oct 31 Liz Anderson, American country music singer-songwriter (Mama Spank, The Game of Triangles), dies of heart and lung disease at 81
  • Oct 31 Manfred Mayrhofer, Austrian Indo-European philologist (Indo-Iranian languages), dies at 85