October 10

October 10 is the 283rd day of the year (284th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. There are 82 days remaining until the end of the year.

Events

• 680 – Battle of Karbala: Husayn ibn Ali, the grandson of the Islamic prophet, Muhammad, is decapitated by forces under Caliph Yazid I. This is commemorated by Muslims as Aashurah.
• 732 – Battle of Tours: Near Poitiers, France, the leader of the Franks, Charles Martel and his men, defeat a large army of Moors, stopping the Muslims from spreading into Western Europe. The governor of Córdoba, Abdul Rahman Al Ghafiqi, is killed during the battle.
• 1471 – Battle of Brunkeberg in Stockholm: Sten Sture the Elder, the Regent of Sweden, with the help of farmers and miners, repels an attack by King Christian I of Denmark.
• 1575 – Battle of Dormans: Roman Catholic forces under Henry I, Duke of Guise defeat the Protestants, capturing Philippe de Mornay among others.
• 1580 – Over 600 papal troops land at Dún an Óir, Ireland to support a rebellion.
• 1582 – Because of the implementation of the Gregorian calendar this day does not exist in this year in Italy, Poland, Portugal and Spain.
• 1631 – An Electorate of Saxony army takes over Prague.
• 1760 – In a treaty with the Dutch colonial authorities, the Ndyuka people of Suriname – descended from escaped slaves – gain territorial autonomy.
• 1780 – The Great Hurricane of 1780 kills 20,000–30,000 in the Caribbean.
• 1845 – In Annapolis, Maryland, the Naval School (later renamed the United States Naval Academy) opens with 50 midshipman students and seven professors.
• 1846 – Triton, the largest moon of the planet Neptune, is discovered by English astronomer William Lassell.
• 1868 – Carlos Céspedes issues the Grito de Yara from his plantation, La Demajagua, proclaiming Cuba's independence
• 1871 – The Great Chicago Fire: Chicago burns after a barn accident. The fire lasts from October 8 to October 10.
• 1897 – German chemist Felix Hoffmann discovers an improved way of synthesizing acetylsalicylic acid (aspirin).
• 1903 – The Women's Social and Political Union was founded by Emmeline Pankhurst
• 1911 – The Wuchang Uprising leads to the demise of the Qing dynasty, the last Imperial court in China, and the founding of the Republic of China.
• 1913 – United States President Woodrow Wilson triggers the explosion of the Gamboa Dike thus ending construction on the Panama Canal.
• 1920 – The Carinthian plebiscite determines that the larger part of the Duchy of Carinthia should remain part of Austria.
• 1928 – Chiang Kai-shek becomes Chairman of the Republic of China.
• 1933 – United Airlines Boeing 247 mid-air explosion: A United Airlines Boeing 247 is destroyed by sabotage, the first such proven case in the history of commercial aviation.
• 1935 – A coup d'état by the royalist leadership of the Greek Armed Forces takes place in Athens. It overthrows the government of Panagis Tsaldaris and establishes a regency under Georgios Kondylis, effectively ending the Second Hellenic Republic.
• 1938 – The Munich Agreement cedes the Sudetenland to Nazi Germany.
• 1942 – The Soviet Union establishes diplomatic relations with Australia.
• 1943 – Double Tenth incident in Japanese-controlled Singapore
• 1945 – The Chinese Communist Party and the Kuomintang signed a principle agreement in Chongqing about the future of post-war China. Later, the pact is commonly referred to as the Double Tenth Agreement.
• 1953 – Mutual Defense Treaty Between the United States and the Republic of Korea is concluded in Washington, D.C.
• 1957 – U.S. President Dwight D. Eisenhower apologizes to the finance minister of Ghana, Komla Agbeli Gbedemah, after he is refused service in a Dover, Delaware restaurant.
• 1957 – The Windscale fire in Cumbria, U.K. is the world's first major nuclear accident.
• 1963 – France cedes control of the Bizerte naval base to Tunisia.
• 1963 – The Partial Nuclear Test Ban Treaty comes into effect.
• 1964 – The opening ceremony of the 1964 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, Japan, is broadcast live in the first Olympic telecast relayed by geostationary communication satellite.
• 1967 – The Outer Space Treaty, signed on January 27 by more than sixty nations, comes into force.
• 1970 – Fiji becomes independent.
• 1970 – In Montreal, a national crisis hits Canada when Quebec Vice-Premier and Minister of Labour Pierre Laporte becomes the second statesman kidnapped by members of the FLQ terrorist group.
• 1971 – Sold, dismantled and moved to the United States, London Bridge reopens in Lake Havasu City, Arizona.
• 1973 – Vice President of the United States Spiro Agnew resigns after being charged with evasion of federal income tax.
• 1975 – Papua New Guinea joins the United Nations.
• 1980 – The 7.1 Mw El Asnam earthquake shakes northern Algeria with a maximum Mercalli intensity of X (Extreme). At least 2,633 people were killed and 8,369 were injured.
• 1980 – FMLN is founded in El Salvador.
• 1985 – United States Navy F-14 fighter jets intercept an Egyptian plane carrying the hijackers of the Achille Lauro cruise ship, and force it to land at a NATO base in Sigonella, Sicily where they are arrested.
• 1986 – The 5.7 Mw San Salvador earthquake shook San Salvador, El Salvador with a maximum Mercalli intensity of IX (Violent). Up to 1,500 people were killed.
• 1997 – An Austral Airlines DC-9-32 crashes and explodes near Nuevo Berlin, Uruguay, killing 74.
• 1998 – A Lignes Aériennes Congolaises Boeing 727 is shot down by rebels in Kindu, Democratic Republic of the Congo, killing 41 people.
• 2008 – The 2008 Orakzai bombing kills 110 and injures 200 more.
• 2009 – Armenia and Turkey sign protocols in Zurich, Switzerland to open their borders.
• 2010 – The Netherlands Antilles are dissolved as a country.
• 2015 – Twin bomb blasts in the Turkish capital Ankara near the main train station leave at least 102 people dead and over 400 wounded.

Births

• 1344 – Mary of Waltham (d. 1362)
• 1465 – Selim I, Ottoman sultan (d. 1520)
• 1567 – Infanta Catherine Michelle of Spain (d. 1597)
• 1599 – Étienne Moulinié, French composer and director (d. 1676)
• 1656 – Nicolas de Largillière, French painter and academic (d. 1746)
• 1669 – Johann Nicolaus Bach, German organist and composer (d. 1753)
• 1678 – John Campbell, 2nd Duke of Argyll, Scottish colonel and politician, Lord High Commissioner to the Parliament of Scotland (d. 1743)
• 1684 – Jean-Antoine Watteau, French painter (d. 1721)
• 1700 – Lambert-Sigisbert Adam, French sculptor and illustrator (d. 1759)
• 1731 – Henry Cavendish, French-English chemist, physicist, and philosopher (d. 1810)
• 1780 – John Abercrombie, Scottish physician and philosopher (d. 1844)
• 1794 – William Whiting Boardman, American judge and politician (d. 1871)
• 1813 – Giuseppe Verdi, Italian composer and philanthropist (d. 1901)
• 1819 – Heinrich Joseph Dominicus Denzinger, German theologian and author (d. 1883)
• 1825 – Paul Kruger, South African soldier and politician, 5th President of the South African Republic (d. 1904)
• 1828 – Samuel J. Randall, American captain, lawyer and politician, 33rd Speaker of the United States House of Representatives (d. 1890)
• 1830 – Isabella II of Spain (d. 1904)
• 1834 – Aleksis Kivi, Finnish author and playwright (d. 1872)
• 1837 – Robert Gould Shaw, American colonel (d. 1863)
• 1858 – Maurice Prendergast, American painter and academic (d. 1924)
• 1861 – Fridtjof Nansen, Norwegian explorer, scientist, and humanitarian, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1930)
• 1863 – Helen Dunbar, American actress (d. 1933)
• 1864 – T. Frank Appleby, American businessman and politician (d. 1924)
• 1870 – Louise Mack, Australian journalist, author, and poet (d. 1935)
• 1877 – William Morris, 1st Viscount Nuffield, English businessman and philanthropist, founded Morris Motors (d. 1963)
• 1884 – Nikolai Klyuev, Russian poet and author (d. 1937)
• 1884 – Ida Wüst, German actress and screenwriter (d. 1958)
• 1885 – Walter Anderson, Belarusian-German ethnologist and academic (d. 1962)
• 1889 – Han van Meegeren, Dutch painter and forger (d. 1947)
• 1895 – Alfred Neuland, Estonian weightlifter (d. 1966)
• 1895 – Fridolf Rhudin, Swedish actor (d. 1935)
• 1895 – Wolfram Freiherr von Richthofen, German field marshal (d. 1945)
• 1898 – Lilly Daché, French-American fashion designer (d. 1989)
• 1900 – Helen Hayes, American actress and singer (d. 1993)
• 1901 – Alberto Giacometti, Swiss sculptor and painter (d. 1966)
• 1902 – K. Shivaram Karanth, Indian journalist, author, and activist (d. 1997)
• 1903 – Prince Charles, Count of Flanders (d. 1983)
• 1903 – Vernon Duke, Russian-American composer and songwriter (d. 1969)
• 1903 – Bei Shizhang, Chinese biologist and academic (d. 2009)
• 1905 – Aksella Luts, Estonian actress, screenwriter, dancer, and choreographer(d. 2005)
• 1906 – Paul Creston, American composer and educator (d. 1985)
• 1906 – R. K. Narayan, Indian author (d. 2001)
• 1908 – Johnny Green, American conductor and composer (d. 1989)
• 1908 – Mercè Rodoreda, Catalan author and poet (d. 1983)
• 1909 – Robert F. Boyle, American production designer and art director (d. 2010)
• 1910 – Julius Shulman, American photographer and environmentalist (d. 2009)
• 1911 – Clare Hollingworth, English journalist and author
• 1912 – Ram Vilas Sharma, Indian poet and critic (d. 2000)
• 1913 – Claude Simon, Malagasy-French author and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 2005)
• 1914 – Tommy Fine, American baseball player and businessman (d. 2005)
• 1914 – Ivory Joe Hunter, American singer-songwriter and pianist (d. 1974)
• 1915 – Harry Edison, American trumpet player and composer (Count Basie Orchestra) (d. 1999)
• 1917 – Thelonious Monk, American pianist and composer (d. 1982)
• 1919 – Willard Estey, Canadian academic and jurist (d. 2002)
• 1919 – Gerry Gomez, Trinidadian cricketer, manager, and umpire (d. 1996)
• 1919 – Edgar Laprade, Canadian ice hockey player (d. 2014)
• 1922 – Merv Pregulman, American football player, businessman, and philanthropist (d. 2012)
• 1923 – Louis Gottlieb, American singer and bass player (The Limeliters) (d. 1996)
• 1923 – Nicholas Parsons, English actor and game show host
• 1923 – Murray Walker, English journalist and sportscaster
• 1924 – James Clavell, Australian-American director, producer, screenwriter, and author (d. 1994)
• 1924 – Ludmilla Tchérina, French actress, ballerina, and choreographer (d. 2004)
• 1924 – Ed Wood, American actor, director, producer, screenwriter (d. 1978)
• 1925 – Great Antonio, Croatian-Canadian strongman, wrestler, and actor (d. 2001)
• 1925 – Johnny Stompanato, American soldier and bodyguard (d. 1958)
• 1926 – Oscar Brown, American singer-songwriter, playwright, and actor (d. 2005)
• 1926 – Richard Jaeckel, American actor (d. 1997)
• 1927 – Dana Elcar, American actor and director (d. 2005)
• 1927 – Nedunuri Krishnamurthy, Indian singer (d. 2014)
• 1927 – Jon Locke, American actor (d. 2013)
• 1927 – Thomas Wilson, American-Scottish composer and educator (d. 2001)
• 1928 – Sheila Walsh, English author (d. 2009)
• 1929 – Ayten Alpman, Turkish singer (d. 2012)
• 1929 – Herb Levinson, American actor (d. 2012)
• 1929 – Bernard Mayes, English-American journalist and academic (d. 2014)
• 1930 – Eugenio Castellotti, Italian race car driver (d. 1957)
• 1930 – Yves Chauvin, French chemist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 2015)
• 1930 – Harold Pinter, English actor, director, screenwriter, and playwright, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 2008)
• 1932 – Harry Smith, English footballer
• 1933 – Jay Sebring, American hair stylist and businessman (d. 1969)
• 1935 – Khalil al-Wazir, Palestinian commander, founded Fatah (d. 1988)
• 1935 – André Bureau, Canadian lawyer and businessman
• 1936 – Judith Chalmers, English television host and actress
• 1936 – Gerhard Ertl, German physicist and chemist, Nobel Prize laureate
• 1937 – Bruce Devlin, Australian golfer and sportscaster
• 1937 – Peter Underwood, Australian lawyer and politician, 27th Governor of Tasmania (d. 2014)
• 1938 – Gloria Coates, American-German composer and painter
• 1938 – Oleg Gordievsky, Russian intelligence officer and author
• 1938 – Daidō Moriyama, Japanese photographer
• 1938 – Lily Tuck, American author
• 1939 – Joe Pitts, American captain and politician
• 1940 – Winston Churchill, English journalist and politician (d. 2010)
• 1941 – Peter Coyote, American actor, director, and screenwriter
• 1941 – Ken Saro-Wiwa, Nigerian author and activist (d. 1995)
• 1942 – Radu Vasile, Romanian historian and politician, 57th Prime Minister of Romania (d. 2013)
• 1943 – Frederick Barthelme, American author and screenwriter
• 1945 – Christopher Hill, English bishop
• 1946 – Charles Dance, English actor, director, and screenwriter
• 1946 – Giant Haystacks, English wrestler (d. 1998)
• 1946 – Naoto Kan, Japanese lawyer and politician, 61st Prime Minister of Japan
• 1946 – Peter Mahovlich, Canadian ice hockey player and coach
• 1946 – Anne Mather, English author and screenwriter
• 1946 – John Prine, American singer-songwriter and guitarist
• 1946 – Raymond Tallis, English physician, philosopher, author, and academic
• 1946 – Chris Tarrant, English radio and television host
• 1946 – Ben Vereen, American actor, singer, and dancer
• 1946 – Willard White, Jamaican-English actor and singer
• 1947 – Gary Beach, American actor and singer
• 1947 – Ojārs Arvīds Feldbergs, Latvian sculptor
• 1948 – Sue Campbell, Baroness Campbell of Loughborough, English academic and businesswoman
• 1948 – Séverine, French singer and actress
• 1949 – Warren Burt, American-Australian composer
• 1949 – Wang Wanxing, Chinese activist
• 1950 – Charlie George, English footballer
• 1950 – Nora Roberts, American author
• 1951 – Boboy Garovillo, Filipino singer and actor (APO Hiking Society)
• 1951 – Epeli Ganilau, Fijian general and politician, 16th Minister for Fijian Affairs
• 1952 – Dela Smith, English educator
• 1953 – Fiona Rae, Hong Kong-Scottish painter
• 1953 – Midge Ure, Scottish singer-songwriter, guitarist, and producer (Slik, Rich Kids, Thin Lizzy, Visage, and Ultravox)
• 1953 – Aleksander Veingold, Estonian chess player and coach
• 1953 – Gus Williams, American basketball player
• 1954 – Rekha, Indian actress and singer
• 1954 – Mohamed Mounir, Egyptian singer and actor
• 1954 – David Lee Roth, American singer-songwriter and producer (Van Halen and The David Lee Roth Band)
• 1954 – Fernando Santos, Portuguese footballer and manager
• 1954 – Patric Zimmerman, American voice actor
• 1956 – Amanda Burton, Northern Irish actress and producer
• 1956 – Fiona Fullerton, Nigerian-English actress and singer
• 1956 – Mark Gordon, American director and producer
• 1956 – David Hempleman-Adams, English businessman and adventurer
• 1957 – Rumiko Takahashi, Japanese author and illustrator
• 1958 – J. Eddie Peck, American actor
• 1958 – Tanya Tucker, American singer-songwriter and guitarist
• 1959 – Michael Cobley, English-Scottish author
• 1959 – Eric Fellner, English film producer
• 1959 – Kirsty MacColl, English singer-songwriter (d. 2000)
• 1959 – Bill Rammell, English academic and politician, Minister of State for the Armed Forces
• 1959 – Julia Sweeney, American actress, producer, and screenwriter
• 1959 – Bradley Whitford, American actor and producer
• 1960 – Ron Flockhart, Canadian ice hockey player
• 1960 – Eric Martin, American singer-songwriter (Mr. Big and Tak Matsumoto Group)
• 1960 – Russell Slade, English football manager
• 1960 – Paul Thiebaud, American art dealer (d. 2010)
• 1960 – Simon Townshend, English singer-songwriter, guitarist, and producer (Casbah Club)
• 1961 – Jodi Benson, American actress and singer
• 1961 – Scott Hoffman, American drummer (38 Special)
• 1961 – Henrik Jørgensen, Danish runner
• 1961 – Martin Kemp, English singer-songwriter, bass player, and actor (Spandau Ballet)
• 1962 – Thomas Rusch, German photographer
• 1963 – Hülya Avşar, Turkish model, actress, and singer
• 1963 – Jolanda de Rover, Dutch swimmer
• 1963 – Anita Mui, Hong Kong singer and actress (d. 2003)
• 1963 – Daniel Pearl, American-Israeli journalist (d. 2002)
• 1963 – Vegard Ulvang, Norwegian skier
• 1964 – Sarah Lancashire, English actress and director
• 1965 – Toshi, Japanese singer-songwriter and producer (X Japan)
• 1965 – Chris Penn, American actor and producer (d. 2006)
• 1965 – Rebecca Pidgeon, American-English singer-songwriter and actress
• 1966 – Tony Adams, English footballer and manager
• 1966 – Mohamed Elmoutaoikil, Moroccan civil servant and activist
• 1966 – Bai Ling, Chinese-American model, actress, and producer
• 1966 – Derrick McKey, American basketball player
• 1967 – Michael Giacchino, American composer
• 1967 – Jonathan Littell, American-French author and humanitarian
• 1967 – Mike Malinin, American drummer and producer (Goo Goo Dolls)
• 1967 – Gavin Newsom, American soldier and politician, 49th Lieutenant Governor of California
• 1967 – Jacek Zieliński, Polish footballer and coac
• 1968 – Bart Brentjens, Dutch cyclist
• 1968 – Feridun Düzağaç, Turkish singer-songwriter
• 1968 – Marinos Ouzounidis, Greek footballer and manager
• 1968 – DJ Skribble, American DJ, producer, and actor (Young Black Teenagers)
• 1969 – Francis Escudero, Filipino lawyer and politician
• 1969 – Brett Favre, American football player
• 1969 – Shawn Jamison, American basketball player and coach
• 1969 – Wendi McLendon-Covey, American actress, producer, and screenwriter
• 1969 – Dilsa Demirbag Sten, Swedish journalist and author
• 1970 – Dean Kiely, Irish footballer
• 1970 – Silke Kraushaar-Pielach, German sled racer
• 1970 – Corinna May, German singer
• 1970 – Mohammed Mourhit, Moroccan-Belgian runner
• 1970 – Matthew Pinsent, English rower and sportscaster
• 1971 – Graham Alexander, English-Scottish footballer and manager
• 1971 – Ian Bennett, English footballer
• 1971 – Evgeny Kissin, Russian pianist
• 1971 – Tiffany Mynx, American porn actress and director
• 1972 – Harvey Anderson, English-Sri Lankan cricketer
• 1972 – Jun Lana, Filipino director, producer, playwright, and screenwriter
• 1972 – Dean Roland, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (Collective Soul and Magnets and Ghosts)
• 1972 – Alexei Zhitnik, Ukrainian-Russian ice hockey player
• 1973 – Mario Lopez, American actor and producer
• 1973 – Scott Morriss, English bass player and songwriter (The Bluetones)
• 1973 – Zach Thornton, American soccer player and coach
• 1974 – Asi Cohen, Israeli actor and screenwriter
• 1974 – Julio Ricardo Cruz, Argentinian footballer
• 1974 – Dale Earnhardt, Jr., American race car driver and actor
• 1974 – Lucy Powell, English politician
• 1974 – Chris Pronger, Canadian ice hockey player
• 1975 – Ihsahn, Norwegian singer-songwriter, guitarist, and producer (Emperor band, Thou Shalt Suffer, and Peccatum)
• 1975 – Ramón Morales, Mexican footballer and manager
• 1975 – Jacqueline Pirie, Scottish actress
• 1975 – Plácido Polanco, Dominican-American baseball player
• 1976 – Bob Burnquist, Brazilian-American skateboarder
• 1976 – Pat Burrell, American baseball player
• 1976 – Shane Doan, Canadian ice hockey player
• 1978 – Scott Dobie, English footballer
• 1978 – Jodi Lyn O'Keefe, American model and actress
• 1979 – Kangta, South Korean singer-songwriter, producer, and actor (H.O.T., S, and Kangta & Vanness)
• 1979 – Mýa, American singer-songwriter, producer, dancer, and actress
• 1979 – Wu Chun, Brunei-Taiwanese actor and singer (Fahrenheit)
• 1979 – Nicolás Massú, Chilean tennis player
• 1979 – Joel Przybilla, American basketball player
• 1979 – Hitomi Satō, Japanese actress
• 1980 – Sherine, Egyptian singer and actress
• 1980 – Blaž Emeršič, Slovenian ice hockey player
• 1980 – Casey FitzSimmons, American football player
• 1980 – Elvis Hammond, Ghanaian footballer
• 1980 – Tim Maurer, American singer-songwriter (Suburban Legends)
• 1980 – Lynn Hung, Hong Kong model and actress
• 1981 – Una Foden, Irish singer-songwriter and dancer (The Saturdays)
• 1981 – Michael Oliver, American actor
• 1981 – Gavin Shuker, English lawyer and politician
• 1982 – Yasser Al-Qahtani, Saudi Arabian footballer
• 1982 – Amon Buchanan, Australian footballer
• 1982 – Hideki Mutoh, Japanese race car driver
• 1983 – Erik Santos, Filipino singer
• 1983 – Vusimuzi Sibanda, Zimbabwean cricketer
• 1983 – Nikos Spyropoulos, Greek footballer
• 1983 – Sherab Zam, Bhutanese archer
• 1983 – Tolga Zengin, Turkish footballer
• 1984 – Stephanie Cheng, Hong Kong singer
• 1984 – Lzzy Hale, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (Halestorm)
• 1984 – Chiaki Kuriyama, Japanese actress and singer
• 1984 – Paul Posluszny, American football player
• 1984 – Troy Tulowitzki, American baseball player
• 1985 – Dominique Cornu, Belgian cyclist
• 1985 – Bronson Harrison, New Zealand rugby player
• 1985 – Marina and the Diamonds, Welsh singer-songwriter and pianist
• 1985 – Sandra Záhlavová, Czech tennis player
• 1986 – Ezequiel Garay, Argentinian footballer
• 1986 – Nathan Jawai, Australian basketball player
• 1986 – Andrew McCutchen, American baseball player
• 1986 – Ellen Andrea Wang, Norwegian bassist and composer
• 1987 – Rodjun Cruz, Filipino actor and dancer
• 1987 – Ryan Mathews, American football player
• 1987 – Colin Slade, New Zealand rugby player
• 1988 – Luis Cardozo, Paraguayan footballer
• 1988 – Shaun Fensom, Australian rugby player
• 1988 – Brown Ideye, Nigerian footballer
• 1988 – Toby Smith, Australian-New Zealand rugby player
• 1989 – Emer Kenny, English actress and screenwriter
• 1989 – Aimee Teegarden, American actress and producer
• 1990 – Geno Smith, American football player
• 1990 – Krissel Valdez, Filipino singer
• 1991 – Gabriella Cilmi, Australian singer-songwriter and producer
• 1991 – Lali Espósito, Argentinian actress and singer (Teen Angels)
• 1991 – Manuel Giandonato, Italian footballer
• 1991 – Kim Seul-gie, South Korean actress
• 1991 – Xherdan Shaqiri, Swiss footballer
• 1991 – Michael Carter-Williams, American basketball player
• 1993 – Jayden Stockley, English footballer
• 1994 – Tereza Smitková, Czech tennis player
• 1994 – Bae Suzy, South Korean singer, dancer, and actress (Miss A)
• 1998 – Nash Aguas, Filipino actor, singer, and dancer

Deaths

• 19 – Germanicus, Roman general (b. 15 BC)
• 644 – Paulinus of York, English bishop and missionary
• 680 – Husayn ibn Ali, Islamic religious leader (b. 626)
• 827 – Pope Valentine (b. 800)
• 1359 – Hugh IV of Cyprus (b. 1295)
• 1659 – Abel Tasman, Dutch merchant and explorer (b. 1603)
• 1691 – Isaac de Benserade, French author and poet (b. 1613)
• 1708 – David Gregory, Scottish mathematician and astronomer (b. 1659)
• 1714 – Pierre Le Pesant, sieur de Boisguilbert, French economist and academic (b. 1646)
• 1720 – Antoine Coysevox, French sculptor (b. 1640)
• 1723 – William Cowper, 1st Earl Cowper, English lawyer and politician, Lord High Chancellor of Great Britain (b. 1665)
• 1725 – Philippe de Rigaud Vaudreuil, French politician, Governor of New France (b. 1643)
• 1747 – John Potter, English archbishop and academic (b. 1674)
• 1759 – Granville Elliott, English general (b. 1713)
• 1765 – Lionel Sackville, 1st Duke of Dorset, English politician, Lord Lieutenant of Ireland (b. 1688)
• 1795 – Francesco Antonio Zaccaria, Italian historian and theologian (b. 1714)
• 1800 – Gabriel Prosser, American rebel leader (b. 1776)
• 1806 – Prince Louis Ferdinand of Prussia (b. 1772)
• 1827 – Ugo Foscolo, Italian author and poet (b. 1778)
• 1837 – Charles Fourier, French philosopher and academic (b. 1772)
• 1857 – George Washington Parke Custis, American author and playwright (b. 1781)
• 1872 – William H. Seward, American lawyer and politician, 24th United States Secretary of State (b. 1801)
• 1875 – Aleksey Konstantinovich Tolstoy, Russian author, poet, and playwright (b. 1817)
• 1876 – Charles Joseph Sainte-Claire Deville, French geologist and meteorologist (b. 1814)
• 1893 – Lip Pike, American baseball player and manager (b. 1845)
• 1901 – Lorenzo Snow, American religious leader, 5th President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (b. 1814)
• 1911 – Jack Daniel, American businessman, founded Jack Daniel's (b. 1849)
• 1913 – Adolphus Busch, German-American brewer and businessman, co-founded Anheuser-Busch (b. 1839)
• 1913 – Katsura Tarō, Japanese general and politician, 6th Prime Minister of Japan (b. 1848)
• 1914 – Carol I of Romania (b. 1839)
• 1922 – Andreas Karkavitsas, Greek physician and author (b. 1866)
• 1927 – August Kitzberg, Estonian author and playwright (b. 1855)
• 1927 – Gustave Whitehead, German-American pilot and engineer (b. 1874)
• 1930 – Adolf Engler, German botanist and academic (b. 1844)
• 1940 – Berton Churchill, Canadian-American actor and singer (b. 1876)
• 1948 – Ted Horn, American race car driver (b. 1910)
• 1949 – Chikuhei Nakajima, Japanese engineer, businessman, and politician, founded Nakajima Aircraft Company (b. 1884)
• 1953 – Erima Harvey Northcroft, New Zealand general, lawyer, and judge (b. 1884)
• 1957 – Karl Genzken, German physician (b. 1885)
• 1962 – Stancho Belkovski, Bulgarian-Polish architect (b. 1891)
• 1963 – Roy Cazaly, Australian footballer and coach (b. 1893)
• 1963 – Édith Piaf, French singer-songwriter and actress (b. 1915)
• 1964 – Eddie Cantor, American singer-songwriter, dancer, and actor (b. 1892)
• 1964 – Heinrich Neuhaus, Ukrainian-Russian pianist and educator (b. 1888)
• 1964 – Guru Dutt, Indian actor, director, and producer (b. 1925)
• 1966 – Charlotte Cooper, English-Scottish tennis player (b. 1870)
• 1970 – Édouard Daladier, French captain and politician, 105th Prime Minister of France (b. 1884)
• 1971 – John Cawte Beaglehole, New Zealand historian and scholar (b. 1901)
• 1973 – Ludwig von Mises, Ukrainian-American economist and sociologist (b. 1881)
• 1974 – Werner Heyking, Danish actor (b. 1913)
• 1976 – Silvana Armenulić, Bosnian singer and actress (b. 1939)
• 1976 – Mirsada Mirjana Bajraktarević, Bosnian singer-songwriter (b. 1951)
• 1977 – Angelo Muscat, Maltese-English actor (b. 1930)
• 1978 – Ralph Marterie, Italian-American trumpet player and bandleader (b. 1914)
• 1978 – Ralph Metcalfe, American sprinter and politician (b. 1910)
• 1979 – Christopher Evans, English psychologist, computer scientist, and author (b. 1931)
• 1979 – Paul Paray, French organist, composer, and conductor (b. 1886)
• 1982 – Jean Effel, French painter and journalist (b. 1908)
• 1983 – Ralph Richardson, English actor (b. 1902)
• 1985 – Yul Brynner, Russian-American actor, singer, and director (b. 1920)
• 1985 – Orson Welles, American actor, director, producer, and screenwriter (b. 1915)
• 1986 – Gleb Wataghin, Ukrainian-Italian physicist and academic (b. 1899)
• 1987 – Behice Boran, Turkish Marxist politician, author and sociologist (b. 1910)
• 1990 – Tom Murton, American penologist and activist (b. 1928)
• 1990 – Nikolaos Pavlopoulos, Greek sculptor and academic (b. 1909)
• 1991 – Nickolaus Hirschl, Austrian wrestler, discus thrower, and shot putter (b. 1906)
• 1998 – Clark Clifford, American captain, lawyer, and politician 9th United States Secretary of Defense (b. 1906)
• 1998 – Marvin Gay, Sr., American minister (b. 1914)
• 1998 – Tommy Quaid, Irish hurler and manager (b. 1957)
• 2000 – Sirimavo Bandaranaike, Sri Lankan lawyer and politician, 6th Prime Minister of Sri Lanka (b. 1916)
• 2001 – Eddie Futch, American boxer and trainer (b. 1911)
• 2001 – Vasily Mishin, Russian engineer (b. 1917)
• 2002 – Teresa Graves, American actress and singer (b. 1948)
• 2003 – Eila Hiltunen, Finnish sculptor (b. 1922)
• 2003 – Eugene Istomin, American pianist (b. 1925)
• 2004 – Ken Caminiti, American baseball player (b. 1963)
• 2004 – Christopher Reeve, American actor, producer, and activist (b. 1952)
• 2004 – Arthur H. Robinson, American geographer and cartographer (b. 1915)
• 2004 – Maurice Shadbolt, New Zealand author and playwright (b. 1932)
• 2005 – Wayne C. Booth, American educator and critic (b. 1921)
• 2005 – Milton Obote, Ugandan politician, 2nd President of Uganda (b. 1925)
• 2006 – Michael John Rogers, English ornithologist and academic (b. 1932)
• 2006 – Ian Scott, Canadian lawyer and politician (b. 1934)
• 2007 – Mehmed Uzun, Turkish author (b. 1953)
• 2008 – Alton Ellis, Jamaican singer-songwriter (b. 1938)
• 2008 – Kazuyoshi Miura, Japanese businessman (b. 1947)
• 2009 – Stephen Gately, Irish singer-songwriter, dancer, and actor (Boyzone) (b. 1976)
• 2010 – Solomon Burke, American singer-songwriter and preacher (b. 1940)
• 2010 – Joan Sutherland, Australian-Swiss soprano and actress (b. 1926)
• 2011 – Jagjit Singh, Indian singer-songwriter (b. 1941)
• 2012 – Sam Gibbons, American captain and politician (b. 1920)
• 2012 – Alex Karras, American football player, wrestler, and actor (b. 1935)
• 2012 – Piotr Lenartowicz, Polish philosopher and educator (b. 1934)
• 2012 – Basil L. Plumley, American sergeant (b. 1920)
• 2012 – Mark Poster, American philosopher and educator (b. 1941)
• 2012 – Amanda Todd, Canadian suicide victim (b. 1996)
• 2012 – Kyaw Zaw, Burmese commander and politician (b. 1919)
• 2013 – Scott Carpenter, American commander, pilot, and astronaut (b. 1925)
• 2013 – Tomoyuki Dan, Japanese voice actor (b. 1963)
• 2013 – Jan Kuehnemund, American singer and guitarist (Vixen) (b. 1961)
• 2013 – Jay Conrad Levinson, American author and educator (b. 1933)
• 2013 – Sohei Miyashita, Japanese politician, Japanese Minister of Defense (b. 1927)
• 2013 – Kumar Pallana, Indian-American actor (b. 1918)
• 2013 – Cal Smith, American singer and guitarist (b. 1932)
• 2014 – Olav Dale, Norwegian saxophonist and composer (Bergen Big Band) (b. 1958)
• 2014 – Damiana Eugenio, Filipino author and academic (b. 1921)
• 2014 – Valeri Karpov, Russian ice hockey player (b. 1971)
• 2014 – Lari Ketner, American football and basketball player (b. 1977)
• 2014 – Pavel Landovský, Czech actor, director, and playwright (b. 1936)
• 2014 – Ed Nimmervoll, Austrian-Australian journalist, historian, and author (b. 1947)
• 2015 – Manorama, Indian actress and singer (b. 1937)
• 2015 – Diepreye Alamieyeseigha, Nigerian politician, Governor of Bayelsa State (b. 1952)
• 2015 – Hilla Becher, German photographer and educator (b. 1934)
• 2015 – Richard F. Heck, American chemist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1931)
• 2015 – Steve Mackay, American saxophonist and composer (The Stooges) (b. 1949)
• 2015 – Sybil Stockdale, American activist, co-founded the National League of Families (b. 1924)
• 2015 – Robbin Thompson, American singer-songwriter (Steel Mill) (b. 1949)

Holidays and observances

• Arbor Day (Poland)
• Capital Liberation Day (Vietnam)
• Christian feast day:
  • Cerbonius
  • Daniel Comboni
  • Paulinus of York (in England)
  • Vida Dutton Scudder (Episcopal Church)
  • Viktor of Xanten
  • October 10 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
• Double Ten Day (The National Day of Taiwan), celebrates outbreak of the Wuchang Uprising in 1911 that led to founding of the Republic of China in 1912
• Fiji Day, celebrates the independence of Fiji from United Kingdom in 1970
• Finnish Literature Day (Finland)
• Independence Day, commemorates the proclamation of Cuba's independence from Spain and the beginning of the Ten Years' War in 1868.
• Party Foundation Day (North Korea)
• World Mental Health Day (International)

External links

• BBC: On This Day
• The New York Times: On This Day
• On This Day in Canada