1984 – American actor Jon-Erik Hexum accidentally shoots himself with a prop gun. He dies six days later.
1979 – The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, the first of five books in the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy comedy science fiction series by Douglas Adams is published.
1970 – Vietnam War: US President Richard Nixon announces that the United States will withdraw 40,000 more troops before Christmas
1964 – The Soviet Union launches the Voskhod 1 into Earth orbit as the first spacecraft with a multi-person crew and the first flight without space suits.
1963 – After nearly 23 years of imprisonment, Reverend Walter Ciszek, a Jesuit missionary, was released from the Soviet Union.
1945 – World War II: Desmond Doss is the first conscientious objector to receive the U.S. Medal of Honor.
1928 – An iron lung respirator is used for the first time at Children's Hospital, Boston.
1917 – World War I: The First Battle of Passchendaele takes place resulting in the largest single day loss of life in New Zealand history.
1892 – The Pledge of Allegiance is first recited by students in many US public schools, as part of a celebration marking the 400th anniversary of Columbus's voyage.
1849 – The city of Manizales, Colombia is founded by 'The Expedition of the 20'.
1847 – German inventor and industrialist Werner von Siemens founds Siemens & Halske, which later becomes Siemens AG.
1823 – Charles Macintosh of Scotland sells the first raincoat.
1810 – First Oktoberfest: The Bavarian royalty invites the citizens of Munich to join the celebration of the marriage of Crown Prince Ludwig of Bavaria to Princess Therese von Sachsen-Hildburghausen.
1799 – Jeanne Geneviève Labrosse becomes the first woman to jump from a balloon with a parachute, from an altitude of 900 metres (3,000 ft).
1793 – The cornerstone of Old East, the oldest state university building in the United States, is laid on the campus of the University of North Carolina.
1792 – The first celebration of Columbus Day is held in New York City.
1773 – America's first insane asylum opens.
1113 – The city of Oradea is first mentioned under the Latin name Varadinum ("vár" means fortress in Hungarian).
Births
2002 – Iris Apatow, American actress
1994 – Olivia Smoliga, American swimmer
1992 – Josh Hutcherson, American actor and producer
1985 – Michelle Carter, American shot putter
1981 – Giuseppe Lanzone, American rower
1979 – Jordan Pundik, American singer-songwriter and guitarist
1977 – Bode Miller, American skier
1977 – Cristie Kerr, American golfer
1975 – Marion Jones, American basketball player and runner
1972 – Neriah Davis, American model and actress
1971 – Bronzell Miller, American football player and actor (d. 2013)
1971 – Tony Fiore, American baseball player
1970 – Charlie Ward, American basketball player and coach
1970 – Kirk Cameron, American actor, screenwriter, and Christian evangelical/anti-evolution activist
1970 – Tanyon Sturtze, American baseball player
1969 – José Valentín, American baseball player, coach, and manager
1969 – Martie Maguire, American singer-songwriter, violinist, and producer
1968 – Bill Auberlen, American race car driver
1968 – Leon Lett, American football player
1967 – Becky Iverson, American golfer
1966 – Brenda Romero, American game designer
1965 – Scott O'Grady, American captain and pilot
1962 – Carlos Bernard, American actor and director
1962 – Chris Botti, American trumpet player and composer
1962 – Deborah Foreman, American actress and photographer
1960 – Steve Lowery, American golfer
1959 – Anna Escobedo Cabral, American lawyer and politician, 42nd Treasurer of the United States
1958 – Jeff Keith, American rock singer-songwriter (Tesla)
1958 – Steve Austria, American lawyer and politician
1955 – Pat DiNizio, American singer-songwriter and guitarist
1954 – Michael Roe, American, singer, songwriter, and record producer
1951 – Ed Royce, American businessman and politician
1951 – Sally Little, South African-American golfer
1950 – Dave Freudenthal, American economist and politician, 31st Governor of Wyoming
1950 – Susan Anton, American actress and model
1947 – Chris Wallace, American journalist
1945 – Dusty Rhodes, American wrestler and trainer (d. 2015)
1942 – Melvin Franklin, American soul bass singer (The Temptations) (d. 1995)
1937 – Robert Mangold, American painter
1935 – Sam Moore, American soul singer-songwriter (Sam & Dave)
1935 – Tony Kubek, American baseball player and sportscaster
1934 – James "Sugar Boy" Crawford, American singer-songwriter and pianist (d. 2012)
1934 – Richard Meier, American architect, designed the Getty Center and City Tower
1932 – Dick Gregory, American comedian, actor, and author (d. 2017)
1932 – Ned Jarrett, American race car driver and sportscaster
1929 – Nappy Brown, American R&B singer-songwriter (d. 2008)
1929 – Robert Coles, American psychologist, author, and academic
1928 – Al Held, American painter and academic (d. 2005)
1923 – Goody Petronelli, American boxer, trainer, and manager (d. 2012)
1923 – Jean Nidetch, American businesswoman, co-founded Weight Watchers (d. 2015)
1922 – William H. Sullivan, American soldier and diplomat, United States Ambassador to the Philippines (d. 2013)
1921 – Art Clokey, American animator, producer, screenwriter, and voice actor, created Gumby (d. 2010)
1919 – Doris Miller, American chef and soldier (d. 1943)
1916 – Alice Childress, American actress and playwright (d. 1994)
1916 – Lock Martin, American actor (d. 1959)
1914 – John E. Hodge, African-American chemist (d. 1996)
1910 – Malcolm Renfrew, American chemist and academic (d. 2013)
1910 – Robert Fitzgerald, American poet, critic, and translator (d. 1985)
1908 – Ann Petry, American novelist (d. 1997)
1908 – Paul Engle, American novelist, poet, playwright, and critic (d. 1991)
1906 – Joe Cronin, American baseball player and manager (d. 1984)
1906 – John Murray, American playwright and producer (d. 1984)
1904 – Lester Dent, American journalist and author (d. 1959)
1903 – Josephine Hutchinson, American actress (d. 1998)
1893 – Velvalee Dickinson, American spy (d. 1980)
1878 – Truxtun Hare, American football player and hammer thrower (d. 1956)
1874 – Jimmy Burke, American baseball player and manager (d. 1942)
1868 – August Horch, German engineer and businessman, founded Audi (d. 1951)
1860 – Elmer Ambrose Sperry, American engineer and businessman, co-invented the gyrocompass (d. 1930)
1840 – Helena Modjeska, Polish-American actress (d. 1909)
1815 – William J. Hardee, American general (d. 1873)
1710 – Jonathan Trumbull, American colonel and politician, 16th Governor of Connecticut (d. 1785)
1576 – Thomas Dudley, English-American soldier and politician, 3rd Governor of the Massachusetts Bay Colony (d. 1653)
Deaths
2015 – Joan Leslie, American actress, dancer, and vaudevillian (b. 1925)
2014 – Ali Mazrui, Kenyan-American political scientist, philosopher, and academic (b. 1933)
2013 – George Herbig, American astronomer and academic (b. 1920)
2013 – Malcolm Renfrew, American chemist and academic (b. 1910)
2013 – Oscar Hijuelos, American author and academic (b. 1951)
2012 – Norm Grabowski, American hot rod builder and actor (b. 1933)
2011 – Dennis Ritchie, American computer scientist, created the C programming language (b. 1941)
2011 – Patricia Breslin, American actress (b. 1931)
2010 – Belva Plain, American author (b. 1919)
2010 – Woody Peoples, American football player (b. 1943)
2009 – Dickie Peterson American singer-songwriter and bass player (b. 1948)
2007 – Kisho Kurokawa, Japanese architect, designed the Nakagin Capsule Tower (b. 1934)
2005 – C. Delores Tucker, American activist and politician (b. 1927)
2003 – Bill Shoemaker, American jockey (b. 1931)
2003 – Joan Kroc, American philanthropist (b. 1928)
2002 – Ray Conniff, American bandleader and composer (b. 1916)
1999 – Wilt Chamberlain, American basketball player and coach (b. 1936)
1998 – Matthew Shepard, American murder victim (b. 1976)
1997 – John Denver, American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and actor (b. 1943)
1996 – René Lacoste, French tennis player and fashion designer, co-founded Lacoste (b. 1904)
1993 – Leon Ames, American actor (b. 1902)
1991 – Regis Toomey, American actor (b. 1898)
1989 – Jay Ward, American animator, producer, and screenwriter, founded Jay Ward Productions (b. 1920)
1988 – Coby Whitmore, American painter and illustrator (b. 1913)
1987 – Alf Landon, American lieutenant and politician, 26th Governor of Kansas (b. 1887)
1985 – Johnny Olson, American radio host and game show announcer (b. 1910)
1985 – Ricky Wilson, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (b. 1953)
1971 – Dean Acheson, American lawyer and politician, 51st United States Secretary of State (b. 1893)
CALENDAR
