October 20

Events

Pre-1600

• 1568 – The Spanish Duke of Alba defeats a Dutch rebel force under William the Silent.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
• 1572 – Eighty Years' War: Three thousand Spanish soldiers wade through fifteen miles of water in one night to effect the relief of Goes.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>

1601–1900

• 1740 – France, Prussia, Bavaria and Saxony refuse to honour the Pragmatic Sanction, and the War of the Austrian Succession begins.
• 1774 – American Revolution: The Continental Association, a nonconsumption and nonimportation agreement against the British Isles and the British West Indies, is adopted by the First Continental Congress.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
• 1781 – The Patent of Toleration, providing limited freedom of worship, is approved in Austria.
• 1803 – The United States Senate ratifies the Louisiana Purchase.
• 1818 – The Convention of 1818 is signed between the United States and the United Kingdom, which settles the Canada–United States border on the 49th parallel for most of its length.
• 1827 – Greek War of Independence: In the Battle of Navarino, a combined Turkish and Egyptian fleet is defeated by British, French and Russian naval forces in the last significant battle fought with wooden sailing ships.
• 1883 – Peru and Chile sign the Treaty of Ancón, by which the Tarapacá province is ceded to the latter, bringing an end to Peru's involvement in the War of the Pacific.

1901–present

• 1904 – Chile and Bolivia sign the Treaty of Peace and Friendship, delimiting the border between the two countries.
• 1910 – British ocean liner RMS Olympic is launched.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
• 1935 – The Long March, a mammoth retreat undertaken by the armed forces of the Chinese Communist Party a year prior, ends.
• 1941 – World War II: Thousands of civilians in German-occupied Serbia are murdered in the Kragujevac massacre.
• 1944 – World War II: The Soviet Red Army and Yugoslav Partisans liberate Belgrade.
• 1944 – Liquefied natural gas leaks from storage tanks in Cleveland and then explodes, leveling 30 blocks and killing 130 people.
• 1944 – American general Douglas MacArthur fulfills his promise to return to the Philippines when he comes ashore during the Battle of Leyte.
• 1947 – Cold War: The House Un-American Activities Committee begins its investigation into Communist infiltration of the Hollywood film industry, resulting in a blacklist that prevents some from working in the industry for years.
• 1948 – A KLM Lockheed L-049 Constellation crashes on approach to Glasgow Prestwick Airport, killing 40.<ref name="lyons">Template:Cite web</ref>
• 1951 – The "Johnny Bright incident" occurs during a football game between the Drake Bulldogs and Oklahoma A&M Aggies.
• 1952 – The Governor of Kenya Evelyn Baring declares a state of emergency and begins arresting hundreds of suspected leaders of the Mau Mau Uprising.
• 1961 – The Soviet Navy performs the first armed test of a submarine-launched ballistic missile, launching an R-13 from a Golf-class submarine.
• 1962 – China launches simultaneous offensives in Ladakh and across the McMahon Line, igniting the Sino-Indian War.
• 1973 – Watergate scandal: "Saturday Night Massacre": United States President Richard Nixon fires U.S. Attorney General Elliot Richardson and Deputy Attorney General William Ruckelshaus after they refuse to fire special prosecutor Archibald Cox, who is finally fired by Solicitor General Robert Bork.
• 1973 – The Sydney Opera House is opened by Elizabeth II after 14 years of construction.
• 1976 – The Luling–Destrehan Ferry MV George Prince is struck by the Norwegian freighter SS Frosta while crossing the Mississippi River in St. Charles Parish, Louisiana. Seventy-eight passengers and crew die, and only 18 people aboard the ferry survive.
• 1977 – A plane carrying the rock band Lynyrd Skynyrd crashes in woodland in Mississippi, United States. Six people, including three band members, are killed.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• 1981 – Two police officers and a Brink's armored car guard are killed during an armed robbery carried out by members of the Black Liberation Army and Weather Underground in Nanuet, New York.
• 1982 – During the UEFA Cup match between FC Spartak Moscow and HFC Haarlem, 66 people are crushed to death in the Luzhniki disaster.
• 1986 – Aeroflot Flight 6502 crashes while landing at Kuibyshev Airport (now Kuromoch International Airport) in Kuibyshev (now present-day Samara, Russia), killing 70 people.<ref name="ASN">Template:Cite web</ref>
• 1991 – A 6.8 M_w earthquake strikes the Uttarkashi region of India, killing more than 1,000 people.
• 1991 – A massive firestorm breaks out in the hills of Oakland and Berkeley, California killing 25 people and destroying more than 3,000 homes, apartments and condominiums.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• 1995 – Space Shuttle Columbia launches on STS-73.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• 2002 – Top Gear, the revived popular British TV motoring magazine, premieres on BBC.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
• 2003 – The Sloan Great Wall, once the largest cosmic structures known to humanity, is discovered by students at Princeton University.<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref>
• 2005 – The general conference of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) passes the Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
• 2011 – Libyan Crisis: Rebel forces capture Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi and his son Mutassim in his hometown of Sirte and kill him shortly thereafter, ending the first Libyan civil war.
• 2017 – Syrian civil war: The Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) declare victory in the Raqqa campaign.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• 2022 – Liz Truss steps down as British Prime Minister and leader of the Conservative Party amid the country's political crisis, serving for the least time of any British Prime Minister [49 days].<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Births

Pre-1600

• 888 – Zhu Youzhen, emperor of Later Liang (d. 923)
• 1475 – Giovanni di Bernardo Rucellai, Italian poet and playwright (d. 1525)
• 1496 – Claude, Duke of Guise (d. 1550)<ref>Template:Cite EB1911</ref>
• 1554 – Bálint Balassi, Hungarian writer and noble (d. 1594)<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>

1601–1900

• 1612 – Richard Boyle, 1st Earl of Burlington, Anglo-Irish nobleman, Lord High Treasurer of Ireland, Cavalier (d. 1698)<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
• 1616 – Thomas Bartholin, Danish physician, mathematician, and theologian (d. 1680)<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
• 1620 – Aelbert Cuyp, Dutch painter (d. 1691)
• 1632 – Edward Hungerford, English politician (d. 1711)<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
• 1660 – Robert Bertie, 1st Duke of Ancaster and Kesteven, English politician, Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster (d. 1723)<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
• 1677 – Stanisław Leszczyński, King of Poland (d. 1766)<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
• 1679 – Samuel von Cocceji, Prussian jurist and statesman (d. 1755)<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
• 1711 – Timothy Ruggles, American lawyer, jurist, and politician, (d. 1795)<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
• 1718 – Catherine Gordon, Duchess of Gordon, Scottish aristocrat (d. 1779)<ref>George Naylor, The Register's of Thorrington (n.n.: n.n., 1888). Hereinafter cited as Registers of Thorrington.</ref>
• 1719 – Gottfried Achenwall, German historian, economist, and jurist (d. 1772)<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
• 1740 – Isabelle de Charrière, Dutch author and poet (d. 1805)
• 1759 – Chauncey Goodrich, American lawyer and politician, 8th Lieutenant Governor of Connecticut (d. 1815)
• 1780 – Pauline Bonaparte, French sister of Napoleon (d. 1825)
• 1784 – Henry John Temple, 3rd Viscount Palmerston, English academic and politician, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom (d. 1865)
• 1785 – George Ormerod, English historian and author (d. 1873)
• 1790 – Patrick Matthew. Scottish farmer and biologist (d. 1874)
• 1801 – Melchior Berri, Swiss architect and educator, designed the Natural History Museum of Basel (d. 1854)
• 1808 – Karl Andree, German geographer and journalist (d. 1875)
• 1819 – Báb, Iranian religious leader, founded Bábism (d. 1850)
• 1822 – Thomas Hughes, English lawyer and judge (d. 1896)
• 1832 – Constantin Lipsius, German architect and theorist (d. 1894)
• 1847 – Frits Thaulow, Norwegian painter (d. 1906)
• 1854 – Arthur Rimbaud, French soldier and poet (d. 1891)
• 1858 – John Burns, English union leader and politician, President of the Board of Trade (d. 1943)
• 1859 – John Dewey, American psychologist and philosopher (d. 1952)
• 1864 – James F. Hinkle, American banker and politician, 6th Governor of New Mexico (d. 1951)
• 1873 – Nellie McClung, Canadian author and suffragist (d. 1951)<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
• 1873 – Jussi Merinen, Finnish politician (d. 1918)<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• 1874 – Charles Ives, American composer (d. 1954)
• 1877 – Alfred Gwynne Vanderbilt, American businessman (d. 1915)<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
• 1882 – Margaret Dumont, American actress (d. 1965)
• 1882 – Bela Lugosi, Hungarian-American actor (d. 1956)
• 1883 – Karl Probst, American engineer (d. 1963)<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
• 1887 – Prince Yasuhiko Asaka of Japan (d. 1981)
• 1889 – Johann Gruber, Austrian priest and saint (d. 1944)
• 1890 – Aleksander Maaker, Estonian bagpipe player (d. 1968)
• 1891 – Samuel Flagg Bemis, American historian and author (d. 1973)<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
• 1891 – James Chadwick, English physicist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1974)<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref>
• 1893 – Charley Chase, American actor, director, and screenwriter (d. 1940)<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
• 1894 – Olive Thomas, American model and actress (d. 1920)
• 1895 – Rex Ingram, American actor (d. 1969)
• 1895 – Morrie Ryskind, American writer/director (d. 1985)
• 1897 – Yi Un, South Korean general (d. 1970)
• 1900 – Ismail al-Azhari, Sudanese politician, 3rd President of Sudan (d. 1969)
• 1900 – Wayne Morse, American lieutenant, lawyer, and politician (d. 1974)

1901–present

• 1901 – Frank Churchill, American film composer (d. 1942)
• 1901 – Adelaide Hall, American-English singer, actress, and dancer (d. 1993)
• 1904 – Tommy Douglas, Scottish-Canadian minister and politician, 7th Premier of Saskatchewan (d. 1986)
• 1904 – Enolia McMillan, American educator and activist (d. 2006)
• 1904 – Anna Neagle, English actress, singer, and producer (d. 1986)
• 1907 – Arlene Francis, American actress and television personality (d. 2001)
• 1908 – Stuart Hamblen, American singer-songwriter, actor, and radio show host (d. 1989)<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
• 1909 – Carla Laemmle, American actress and photographer (d. 2014)
• 1909 – Yasushi Sugiyama, Japanese painter (d. 1993)
• 1910 – Chen Liting, Chinese director and playwright (d. 2013)
• 1912 – Ruhi Su, Turkish singer-songwriter (d. 1985)
• 1913 – Grandpa Jones, American singer-songwriter and banjo player (d. 1998)<ref name="UPI">Template:Cite web</ref>
• 1914 – Fayard Nicholas, American actor, dancer, and choreographer (d. 2006)
• 1917 – Stéphane Hessel, German-French activist and diplomat (d. 2013)
• 1917 – Ants Kaljurand, Estonian anti-communist, freedom fighter and forest brother (d. 1951)<ref>Hirmus Ants – Metsavennad.esm.ee (in Estonian)</ref>
• 1917 – Jean-Pierre Melville, French actor, director, producer, and screenwriter (d. 1973)
• 1918 – Martin Drewes, German soldier and pilot (d. 2013)
• 1918 – Robert Lochner, American-German soldier and journalist (d. 2003)
• 1919 – Tracy Hall, American chemist and academic (d. 2008)
• 1920 – Nick Cardy, American illustrator (d. 2013)
• 1920 – Fanny de Sivers, Estonian-French linguist and academic (d. 2011)
• 1920 – Janet Jagan, 6th President of Guyana (d. 2009)<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
• 1920 – Siddhartha Shankar Ray, Indian lawyer and politician, Chief Minister of West Bengal (d. 2010)
• 1921 – Manny Ayulo, American race car driver (d. 1955)
• 1921 – Hans Warren, Dutch poet and author (d. 2001)
• 1922 – John Anderson, American actor (d. 1992)
• 1922 – Franco Ventriglia, American opera singer (d. 2012)
• 1923 – Robert Craft, American conductor and musicologist (d. 2015)
• 1924 – Robert Peters, American poet, playwright, and critic (d. 2014)
• 1925 – Art Buchwald, American soldier and journalist (d. 2007)<ref name="UPI"/>
• 1925 – Tom Dowd, American record producer and engineer (d. 2002)
• 1925 – Roger Hanin, Algerian-French actor, director, and screenwriter (d. 2015)
• 1925 – András Bíró, Hungarian journalist and human rights activist (d. 2024)<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• 1926 – Edward Douglas-Scott-Montagu, 3rd Baron Montagu of Beaulieu, English lieutenant and politician, founded the National Motor Museum (d. 2015)
• 1927 – Joyce Brothers, American psychologist, author, and actress (d. 2013)
• 1927 – Gunturu Seshendra Sarma, Indian poet and critic (d. 2007)
• 1928 – Michael O'Donnell, English physician, author, and journalist (d. 2019)
• 1931 – Richard Caliguiri, American lawyer and politician, 54th Mayor of Pittsburgh (d. 1988)
• 1931 – Mickey Mantle, American baseball player and sportscaster (d. 1995)<ref name="UPI"/>
• 1931 – Ken Morrison, English businessman (d. 2017)
• 1932 – Rosey Brown, American football player and coach (d. 2004)
• 1932 – William Christopher, American actor and singer (d. 2016)<ref name="UPI"/>
• 1932 – Rokurō Naya, Japanese voice actor (d. 2014)
• 1933 – Barrie Chase, American actress and dancer
• 1934 – Bill Chase, American trumpet player (d. 1974)
• 1934 – Eddie Harris, American saxophonist (d. 1996)
• 1934 – Timothy West, English actor (d. 2024)<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
• 1935 – Jerry Orbach, American actor and singer (d. 2004)<ref name="UPI"/>
• 1937 – Cancio Garcia, Filipino lawyer and jurist (d. 2013)
• 1937 – Wanda Jackson, American singer-songwriter and guitarist<ref name="AP"/>
• 1937 – Juan Marichal, Dominican baseball player and sportscaster<ref name="UPI"/>
• 1937 – Emma Tennant, English author (d. 2017)
• 1938 – Emidio Greco, Italian director and screenwriter (d. 2012)
• 1938 – Dolores Hart, American actress and nun<ref name="AP"/>
• 1938 – Iain Macmillan, Scottish photographer and educator (d. 2006)
• 1939 – Patrick Hughes, English painter, illustrator, and photographer
• 1940 – Jean-Pierre Dikongué Pipa, Cameroonian filmmaker
• 1940 – Kathy Kirby, English singer (d. 2011)
• 1940 – Robert Pinsky, American poet and critic<ref name="UPI"/>
• 1941 – Anneke Wills, English actress<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
• 1942 – Earl Hindman, American actor (d. 2003)
• 1942 – Christiane Nüsslein-Volhard, German biologist and geneticist, Nobel Prize laureate
• 1942 – Bart Zoet, Dutch cyclist (d. 1992)
• 1943 – Dunja Vejzović, Croatian soprano and actress
• 1944 – Nalin de Silva, Sri Lankan physicist and philosopher (d. 2024)
• 1944 – David Mancuso, American party planner, created The Loft (d. 2016)
• 1945 – Ric Lee, English drummer
• 1946 – Diana Gittins, American-English sociologist, author, and academic
• 1946 – Lewis Grizzard, American comedian and author (d. 1994)<ref name="UPI"/>
• 1946 – Elfriede Jelinek, Austrian author and playwright, Nobel Prize laureate
• 1946 – Richard Loncraine, English director and screenwriter
• 1946 – Lucien Van Impe, Belgian cyclist
• 1946 – Chris Woodhead, English civil servant and academic (d. 2015)
• 1948 – Peter Combe, Australian entertainer
• 1948 – Sandra Dickinson, American-English actress and composer
• 1948 – Piet Hein Donner, Dutch jurist and politician, Dutch Minister of Justice
• 1948 – Melih Gökçek, Turkish journalist and politician, Mayor of Ankara
• 1949 – Valeriy Borzov, Ukrainian-Russian sprinter
• 1950 – Tom Petty, American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and producer (d. 2017)<ref name="UPI"/>
• 1950 – William Russ, American actor and director<ref name="AP"/>
• 1950 – Chris Cannon, American politician (d. 2024)<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="Richardson">Template:Cite web</ref>
• 1951 – Al Greenwood, American keyboard player
• 1951 – Patrick Hall, English lawyer and politician
• 1951 – Ken Ham, Australian-American evangelist
• 1951 – Leif Pagrotsky, Swedish businessman and politician
• 1951 – Claudio Ranieri, Italian footballer and manager
• 1952 – Melanie Mayron, American actress and director<ref name="AP"/>
• 1952 – Derek Ridgers, English photographer and art director
• 1952 – Wilma Salgado, Ecuadorian politician and economist
• 1953 – Keith Hernandez, American baseball player and sportscaster
• 1953 – Richard McWilliam, American businessman and philanthropist, co-founded the Upper Deck Company (d. 2013)
• 1953 – Bill Nunn, American actor (d. 2016)
• 1954 – Steve Orich, American composer and conductor
• 1955 – Thomas Newman, American composer and conductor
• 1955 – David Profumo, English author and academic
• 1955 – Aaron Pryor, American boxer (d. 2016)<ref>Gigney, George (2016) "Aaron Pryor dies at 60", boxingnewsonline.net, October 9, 2016. Retrieved October 9, 2016</ref><ref>Former boxing champion Aaron Pryor dies</ref>
• 1955 – Sheldon Whitehouse, American politician<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• 1956 – Danny Boyle, English director, producer, and screenwriter<ref name="AP"/>
• 1956 – Martin Taylor, English guitarist
• 1957 – Jane Bonham-Carter, Baroness Bonham-Carter of Yarnbury, English politician
• 1957 – Chris Cowdrey, English cricketer and sportscaster
• 1957 – Hilda Solis, American academic and politician, 25th United States Secretary of Labor
• 1958 – Valerie Faris, American director and producer
• 1958 – Lynn Flewelling, American author and academic
• 1958 – Scott Hall, American wrestler (d. 2022)
• 1958 – Mark King, English singer-songwriter and bass player
• 1958 – Dave Krieg, American football player
• 1958 – Viggo Mortensen, American-Danish actor and producer<ref name="AP">Template:Cite web</ref>
• 1959 – Mark Little, Australian comedian, actor, and screenwriter
• 1960 – Konstantin Aseev, Russian chess player and trainer (d. 2004)
• 1961 – Audun Kleive, Norwegian drummer and composer
• 1961 – Kate Mosse, English author and playwright
• 1961 – Ian Rush, Welsh footballer and manager
• 1961 – Les Stroud, Canadian director, producer, and harmonica player
• 1961 – Michie Tomizawa, Japanese voice actress and singer
• 1962 – David M. Evans, American director and screenwriter
• 1962 – Dave Wong, Hong Kong-Taiwanese singer-songwriter and actor
• 1963 – Julie Payette, Canadian engineer, astronaut,<ref name="UPI"/> and 29th Governor General of Canada
• 1963 – Nikos Tsiantakis, Greek footballer
• 1963 – Stan Valckx, Dutch footballer and manager
• 1964 – Kamala Harris, American politician and lawyer, 49th Vice President of the United States<ref name="UPI"/>
• 1964 – Tomoko Yamaguchi, Japanese actress and singer
• 1965 – Norman Blake, Scottish singer-songwriter and guitarist
• 1965 – Jonathan I. Schwartz, American businessman
• 1965 – Mikhail Shtalenkov, Russian ice hockey player
• 1965 – William Zabka, American actor and producer<ref name="AP"/>
• 1966 – Allan Donald, South African cricketer and coach
• 1966 – Patrick Volkerding, American computer scientist and engineer, founded Slackware
• 1967 – Elizabeth Carling, English actress and singer
• 1967 – Kerrod Walters, Australian rugby league player
• 1967 – Kevin Walters, Australian rugby league player and coach
• 1968 – Susan Tully, English actress, director, and producer
• 1969 – Laurie Daley, Australian rugby league player and coach
• 1969 – Juan González, Puerto Rican baseball player
• 1969 – Labros Papakostas, Greek high jumper
• 1970 – Sander Boschker, Dutch footballer
• 1970 – Neil Heywood, English-Chinese businessman (d. 2011)
• 1970 – Aapo Ilves, Estonian poet and illustrator
• 1970 – Michelle Malkin, American blogger and author<ref name="UPI"/>
• 1970 – Taj McWilliams-Franklin, American basketball player<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• 1971 – Kenneth Choi, American actor<ref name="AP"/>
• 1971 – Snoop Dogg, American rapper, producer, and actor<ref name="AP"/>
• 1971 – Eddie Jones, American basketball player
• 1971 – Kamiel Maase, Dutch runner
• 1971 – Dannii Minogue, Australian singer-songwriter and actress<ref name="UPI"/>
• 1972 – Pie Geelen, Dutch swimmer
• 1972 – Will Greenwood, English rugby player and sportscaster
• 1972 – Brian Schatz, American academic and politician, 11th Lieutenant Governor of Hawaii
• 1974 – Ed Hale, American singer-songwriter, writer and socio-political activist
• 1974 – Limmy, Scottish comedian and writer
• 1974 – Bashar Rahal, Emirati-American actor and producer
• 1976 – Nikolaos Bacharidis, Greek footballer
• 1976 – Dan Fogler, American actor, director, producer, and screenwriter<ref name="AP"/>
• 1976 – Nicola Legrottaglie, Italian footballer and manager
• 1977 – Matt Jansen, English footballer and manager
• 1977 – Leila Josefowicz, Canadian-American violinist
• 1977 – Erko Saviauk, Estonian footballer
• 1977 – Sam Witwer, American actor and musician<ref name="AP"/>
• 1978 – Virender Sehwag, Indian cricketer
• 1978 – Paul Wilson, Scottish bass player and songwriter
• 1979 – Vasyl Baranov, Ukrainian footballer
• 1979 – Paul Ifill, English footballer
• 1979 – John Krasinski, American actor, director, and producer<ref name="AP"/>
• 1979 – Paul O'Connell, Irish rugby player
• 1979 – Paul Terek, American decathlete
• 1980 – Chad Robinson, Australian rugby league player (d. 2016)
• 1980 – José Veras, Dominican baseball player
• 1981 – Dimitris Papadopoulos, Greek footballer
• 1981 – Francisco Javier Rodríguez, Mexican footballer
• 1982 – Kristian Bach Bak, Danish footballer
• 1982 – Becky Brewerton, Welsh golfer
• 1982 – Katie Featherston, American actress<ref name="AP"/>
• 1982 – Lawrence Roberts, American basketball player<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• 1983 – Flavio Cipolla, Italian tennis player
• 1983 – Luis Saritama, Ecuadorian footballer
• 1983 – Alona Tal, Israeli actress<ref name="UPI"/>
• 1983 – Michel Vorm, Dutch footballer
• 1984 – Mitch Lucker, American singer-songwriter (d. 2012)
• 1984 – Florent Sinama Pongolle, French footballer
• 1984 – Andrew Trimble, Irish rugby player
• 1985 – Jennifer Freeman, American actress<ref name="AP"/>
• 1985 – Dominic McGuire, American basketball player
• 1985 – Alphonso Smith, American football player
• 1985 – James Sutton, English race car driver
• 1986 – Wanlop Saechio, Thai footballer
• 1986 – Elyse Taylor, Australian model<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• 1987 – Raphael Hackl, German rugby player
• 1987 – Marie Sophie Hingst, German historian and blogger who falsely claimed to be descended from Holocaust survivors<ref name="rosh">Template:Cite web</ref>
• 1988 – ASAP Ferg, American rapper<ref name="UPI"/>
• 1988 – Candice Swanepoel, South African supermodel and philanthropist
• 1989 – Jamie Collins, American football player<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• 1989 – Jess Glynne, English singer-songwriter
• 1990 – Sam Mataora, Cook Islands rugby league player
• 1992 – Rodney Hood, American basketball player<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• 1992 – Ksenia Semyonova, Russian gymnast
• 1992 – Kyle Wiltjer, Canadian-American basketball player<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• 1992 – Ferhat Yazgan, Turkish footballer
• 1995 – Humberto Carrillo, Mexican wrestler<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• 1996 – Anthony Sinisuka Ginting, Indonesian badminton player
• 1997 – Andrey Rublev, Russian tennis player<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• 1998 – Jordan Ridley, Australian rules footballer<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• 1999 – Chuu, South Korean singer and television personality<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• 1999 – YoungBoy Never Broke Again, American rapper<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• 2000 – Kenneth Walker III, American football player<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• 2001 – Paige Bueckers, American basketball player<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref>

Deaths

Pre-1600

• 460 – Aelia Eudocia, Byzantine wife of Theodosius II (b. 401)
• 967 – Li Yixing, Chinese governor
• 1122 – Ralph d'Escures, archbishop of Canterbury
• 1139 – Henry X, Duke of Bavaria (b. 1108)
• 1187 – Pope Urban III
• 1327 – Teresa d'Entença, Countess of Urgell (b. 1300)
• 1401 – Klaus Störtebeker, German pirate
• 1423 – Henry Bowet, Archbishop of York
• 1438 – Jacopo della Quercia, Sienese sculptor (b. c. 1374)
• 1439 – Ambrose the Camaldulian, Italian theologian
• 1524 – Thomas Linacre, English physician and scholar (b. 1460)
• 1538 – Francesco Maria I della Rovere, Duke of Urbino, condottiero (b. 1490)
• 1570 – João de Barros, Portuguese historian and author (b. 1496)

1601–1900

• 1602 – Walter Leveson, Elizabethan member of parliament, Shropshire landowner (b. 1550)
• 1640 – John Ball, English clergyman and theologian (b. 1585)
• 1652 – Antonio Coello, Spanish poet and playwright (b. 1611)
• 1713 – Archibald Pitcairne, Scottish physician and academic (b. 1652)
• 1740 – Charles VI, Holy Roman Emperor (b. 1685)
• 1865 – Champ Ferguson, American guerrilla leader (b. 1821)
• 1870 – Michael William Balfe, Irish violinist and composer (b. 1808)
• 1871 – Karl Christian Ulmann, Latvian-German theologian and academic (b. 1793)
• 1880 – Lydia Maria Child, American journalist, author, and activist (b. 1802)<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• 1883 – George Chichester, 3rd Marquess of Donegall (b. 1797)
• 1890 – Richard Francis Burton, English-Italian geographer and explorer (b. 1821)
• 1894 – James Anthony Froude, English historian, novelist, biographer and editor (b. 1818)
• 1900 – Naim Frashëri, Albanian poet and translator (b. 1846)

1901–present

• 1908 – Vaiben Louis Solomon, Australian politician, 21st Premier of South Australia (b. 1853)
• 1910 – David B. Hill, American lawyer and politician, 29th Governor of New York (b. 1843)
• 1926 – Eugene V. Debs, American union leader and politician (b. 1855)
• 1928 – Jack Peddie, Scottish footballer (b. 1876)
• 1935 – Arthur Henderson, Scottish-English politician, Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1863)
• 1936 – Anne Sullivan, American educator (b. 1866)<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
• 1940 – Gunnar Asplund, Swedish architect and academic, co-designed Skogskyrkogården (b. 1885)
• 1941 – Ken Farnes, English cricketer and soldier (b. 1911)
• 1950 – Henry L. Stimson, American colonel, lawyer, and politician, 46th United States Secretary of State (b. 1867)
• 1953 – Werner Baumbach, German colonel and pilot (b. 1916)
• 1956 – Lawrence Dale Bell, American industrialist and founder of Bell Aircraft Corporation (b. 1894)
• 1957 – Michalis Dorizas, Greek-American javelin thrower and football player (b. 1890)
• 1964 – Herbert Hoover, American engineer and politician, 31st President of the United States (b. 1874)
• 1967 – Shigeru Yoshida, Japanese politician and diplomat, 32nd Prime Minister of Japan (b. 1878)
• 1968 – Bud Flanagan, English actor and screenwriter (b. 1896)
• 1972 – Harlow Shapley, American astronomer and academic (b. 1885)
• 1977 – Steve Gaines, American guitarist (b. 1949)
• 1977 – Ronnie Van Zant, American singer-songwriter (b. 1948)
• 1978 – Gunnar Nilsson, Swedish race car driver (b. 1948)
• 1983 – Yves Thériault, Canadian author (b. 1915)
• 1983 – Merle Travis, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (b. 1917)
• 1984 – Carl Ferdinand Cori, Czech-American biochemist and pharmacologist, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1896)
• 1984 – Paul Dirac, English-American physicist and mathematician, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1902)
• 1987 – Andrey Kolmogorov, Russian mathematician and academic (b. 1903)
• 1988 – Sheila Scott, English pilot and author (b. 1922)
• 1989 – Anthony Quayle, English actor and director (b. 1913)
• 1990 – Joel McCrea, American actor (b. 1905)
• 1992 – Werner Torkanowsky, German-American conductor (b. 1926)
• 1993 – Yasushi Sugiyama, Japanese painter (b. 1909)
• 1994 – Burt Lancaster, American actor (b. 1913)
• 1995 – Christopher Stone, American actor, director, and screenwriter (b. 1942)
• 1995 – John Tonkin, Australian politician, 20th Premier of Western Australia (b. 1902)
• 1999 – Calvin Griffith, Canadian-American businessman (b. 1911)
• 1999 – Jack Lynch, Irish footballer, lawyer, and politician, 5th Taoiseach of Ireland (b. 1917)
• 2001 – Ted Ammon, American financier and banker (b. 1949)
• 2003 – Jack Elam, American actor (b. 1918)
• 2004 – Anthony Hecht, American poet and educator (b. 1923)
• 2004 – Chuck Hiller, American baseball player, coach, and manager (b. 1934)
• 2005 – Shirley Horn, American singer and pianist (b. 1934)
• 2005 – Eva Švankmajerová, Czech painter and poet (b. 1940)
• 2005 – André van der Louw, Dutch lawyer and politician, 16th Mayor of Rotterdam (b. 1933)
• 2006 – Arnold Viiding, Estonian shot putter and discus thrower (b. 1911)
• 2006 – Jane Wyatt, American actress (b. 1910)
• 2007 – Max McGee, American football player and sportscaster (b. 1932)
• 2008 – Gene Hickerson, American football player (b. 1935)
• 2010 – W. Cary Edwards, American politician (b. 1944)
• 2010 – Bob Guccione, American publisher, founded Penthouse magazine (b. 1930)
• 2010 – Eva Ibbotson, Austrian-English author (b. 1925)
• 2010 – Max Kohnstamm, Dutch historian and diplomat (b. 1914)
• 2010 – Farooq Leghari, Pakistani politician, 8th President of Pakistan (b. 1940)
• 2011 – Muammar Gaddafi, Libyan colonel and politician, Prime Minister of Libya (b. 1942)
• 2011 – Mutassim Gaddafi, Libyan colonel (b. 1974)
• 2011 – Abu-Bakr Yunis Jabr, Libyan politician (b. 1942)
• 2011 – Iztok Puc, Croatian-Slovenian handball player (b. 1966)<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• 2012 – Przemysław Gintrowski, Polish poet and composer (b. 1951)
• 2012 – Paul Kurtz, American philosopher and academic (b. 1925)
• 2012 – Dave May, American baseball player (b. 1943)
• 2012 – John McConnell, American activist, created Earth Day (b. 1915)
• 2012 – E. Donnall Thomas, American physician and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1920)<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• 2012 – Raymond Watson, American businessman (b. 1926)
• 2013 – Jovanka Broz, Croatian-Serbian colonel (b. 1924)
• 2013 – Don James, American football player and coach (b. 1932)
• 2013 – Lawrence Klein, American economist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1920)
• 2013 – Joginder Singh, Kenyan race car driver (b. 1932)
• 2013 – Larri Thomas, American actress and dancer (b. 1932)
• 2013 – Sid Yudain, American journalist, founded Roll Call (b. 1923)
• 2014 – René Burri, Swiss photographer and journalist (b. 1933)
• 2014 – Oscar de la Renta, Dominican-American fashion designer (b. 1932)
• 2014 – Christophe de Margerie, French businessman (b. 1951)
• 2015 – Makis Dendrinos, Greek basketball player and coach (b. 1950)
• 2015 – Arno Gruen, German-Swiss psychologist and psychoanalyst (b. 1923)
• 2015 – Kazimierz Łaski, Polish-Austrian economist and academic (b. 1921)
• 2015 – Michael Meacher, English academic and politician, Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions (b. 1939)
• 2015 – Ian Steel, Scottish cyclist and manager (b. 1928)
• 2016 – Robert E. Kramek, former United States Coast Guard admiral (b. 1939)
• 2016 – Michael Massee, American actor (b. 1952)<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
• 2016 – Junko Tabei, Japanese mountaineer (b. 1939)<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• 2018 – Wim Kok, Dutch prime minister (b. 1938)
• 2020 – James Randi, Canadian-American stage magician and author (b. 1928)<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
• 2022 – Lucy Simon, American composer and songwriter (b. 1940)<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• 2024 – Barbara Dane, American folk, blues and jazz singer (b. 1927)<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• 2024 – Fethullah Gülen, Turkish preacher and theologian (b. 1941)<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
• 2024 – Walter Jacob, American Reform rabbi (b. 1930)<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
• 2024 – Janusz Olejniczak, Polish classical pianist and actor (b. 1952)<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• 2024 – Paul White, Baron Hanningfield, British life peer (b. 1940)<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Holidays and observances

• Christian feast days:
  • Acca of Hexham<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
  • Aderald
  • Artemius
  • Caprasius of Agen
  • Hedwig (in Canada, moved from Oct. 16)
  • Irene of Tomar
  • Magdalene of Nagasaki
  • Margaret Marie Alacoque (in Canada, moved from Oct. 16)
  • Paul of the Cross (in USA, moved from Oct. 19)<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
  • Maria Bertilla Boscardin
  • Mater Admirabilis
  • October 20 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
• Arbor Day (Czech Republic)
• Heroes' Day (Kenya)
• Revolution Day (Guatemala), one of the two Patriotic Days (Guatemala)
• Vietnamese Women's Day (Vietnam)
• World Osteoporosis Day
• World Statistics Day<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

External links

• Template:Cite web
• Template:NYT On this day
• Template:Cite web