Historical Events
- Oct 1 B-52 bombers begin full-time flying alert in case of USSR attack
- Oct 1 First appearance of "In God We Trust" on U.S. paper currency.
The Bridge on the River Kwai
Oct 2 "The Bridge on the River Kwai", directed by David Lean and starring William Holden and Alec Guinness, is released (Academy Awards Best Picture 1958)
- Oct 2 New volcanic island appears off Fayal Island Azores
- Oct 2 New York Yankees appear in their 25th Baseball World Series; beat Milwaukee Braves, 3-1 in Game 1 at Yankee Stadium; lose series, 4-3
Howl and Other Poems
Oct 3 Allen Ginsberg's Howl and Other Poems is ruled not obscene
Willy Brandt Elected Mayor
Oct 3 German statesman Willy Brandt is elected mayor of West Berlin (1957-1966)
- Oct 4 Avro Arrow roll-out ceremony at Avro Canada plant in Malton, Ontario
- Oct 4 Soviet Union launches Sputnik I, the 1st artificial Earth satellite into elliptical low Earth orbit
- Oct 4 TV sitcom "Leave It to Beaver" debuts on CBS
- Oct 5 11th NHL All-Star Game, Montreal Forum, Montreal, QC: All-Stars beat Montreal Canadiens, 5-3
- Oct 5 Ryder Cup Golf, Lindrick GC: Great Britain-Ireland win, 7½-4½; Dai Rees captains home team to first Cup victory since 1933
- Oct 5 Yugoslav dissident Milovan Djilos sentenced to 7 years
- Oct 6 USSR performs nuclear test at Novaya Zemlya USSR
- Oct 7 KOAC TV channel 7 in Corvallis, OR (PBS) begins broadcasting
- Oct 8 Brooklyn Dodgers announce move to Los Angeles
- Oct 8 Procter & Gamble director N McElroy becomes US Secretary of Defense
- Oct 8 Soviet spy Jack Sobel sentenced to 7 years (NYC)
- Oct 8 Turkish & Syrian border guards exchange fire
- Oct 9 Great Britain performs nuclear test at Maralinga Australia
- Oct 10 A fire at the Windscale nuclear plant in Cumbria, England becomes the world's first major nuclear accident
- Oct 10 Baseball World Series: Milwaukee Braves beat NY Yankees, 5-0 at Yankee Stadium to clinch 4 games to 3 series victory; MVP: Braves pitcher Lew Burdette (3-0)
Eisenhower Apologizes for Racial Insult
Oct 10 US President Eisenhower apologizes to the finance minister of Ghana, Komla Agbeli Gbdemah, after he is refused service in a restaurant in Dover, Delaware
- Oct 10 USSR performs nuclear test at Novaya Zemlya USSR
- Oct 12 "Mask & Gown" closes at John Golden Theater NYC after 39 performances
- Oct 12 "Simply Heavenly" closes at Playhouse Theater NYC after 62 performances
- Oct 12 First commercial flight between California & Antarctica
- Oct 13 German Democratic Republic recalls OstMark & issues new currency
Nobel Peace Prize
Oct 14 Canadian Secretary of State for External Affairs Lester B. Pearson wins Nobel Peace Prize, for his aid in resolving the Suez Crisis; the 1st Canadian to win the award [1]
#1 in the Charts
Oct 14 Everly Brothers' single "Wake Up Little Susie" reaches #1
Event of Interest
Oct 14 Queen Elizabeth II becomes the first Canadian monarch to open the Parliament of Canada with the Speech from the Throne
- Oct 15 Giants trade Minneapolis franchise to Red Sox for SF Seals-franchises only, not the players
Event of Interest
Oct 16 British Queen Elizabeth & her husband Prince Philip visit Williamsburg Virginia [1]
- Oct 16 USAF sends 2 aluminium bullets into space
- Oct 17 "Copper & Brass" opens at Martin Beck Theater NYC for 36 performances
- Oct 17 Britain's Queen Elizabeth & Prince Philip visit the White House
- Oct 17 Dike Marken-Dutch mainland closed
Nobel Prize in Literature
Oct 17 French author Albert Camus awarded Nobel Prize in Literature
- Oct 17 II Tsjoendrigar becomes premier of Pakistan
Jailhouse Rock Premieres
Oct 17 Musical film "Jailhouse Rock" starring Elvis Presley premieres in Memphis, Tennessee
The Frank Sinatra Show
Oct 18 "The Frank Sinatra Show" television variety/drama anthology series debuts on ABC; the singer-actor is given almost complete control of the program
Sports History
Oct 19 Montreal Canadien Maurice "Rocket" Richard, becomes the 1st NHLer to score 500 goals
- Oct 19 Richard Adler and Jerry Ross' musical "Damn Yankees" closes at 46th St Theater, NYCl after 1022 performances and 7 Tony Award wins
- Oct 20 Karachi A (277-0d) beat Sind A by an innings without losing a wicket
Event of Interest
Oct 20 Walter Cronkite begins hosting weekly documentary
Adenauer Re-elected
Oct 22 Konrad Adenauer re-elected Chancellor of West Germany
Murder of Interest
Oct 25 Cosa Nostra crime boss Albert Anastasia is murdered in a barber's chair in New York City, probably by fellow mobster Joe Gallo
- Oct 25 Russian minister of Defense Zjoekov deposed
Event of Interest
Oct 29 Hand grenade thrown from balcony in Israel's Knesset (Parliament) injures Prime Minister David Ben-Gurion, Foreign Minister Golda Meir, and several others
Music Premiere
Oct 30 Dmitri Shostakovich's 11th Symphony premieres in Moscow
- Oct 30 WLWI (now WTHR) TV channel 13 in Indianapolis, IN (ABC) 1st broadcast
- Oct 30 WYTV TV channel 33 in Youngstown, OH (ABC) begins broadcasting
Jamaica
Oct 31 Yip Harburg, Fred Saidy, and Harold Arlen's musical "Jamaica", starring Lena Horne, opens at Imperial Theater, NYC; runs for 558 performances
Famous Birthdays
- Oct 1 Stelios Mainas, Greek actor
- Oct 2 Gordie Roberts, American ice hockey defenceman (Stanley Cup 1991-92, Pittsburgh Penguins; first American to 1,000 NHL games), born in Detroit, Michigan
- Oct 2 John Cook, American golfer (British Open, PGA C'ship 1992 runner-up; 11 PGA Tour titles), born in Toledo, Ohio
- Oct 2 Wade Dooley, English rugby union lock (57 caps; 2 caps British Lions; Preston Grasshoppers RFC), born in Warrington, England
- Oct 3 Tim Westwood, Pimp My Ride UK presenter and DJ
- Oct 4 Bill Fagerbakke, American actor (Coach - "Dauber"; SpongeBob - "Patrick Star"), born in Fontana, California
- Oct 4 Gregory T. Linteris, American astronaut and payload specialist (STS-83, STS-94), born in Demarest, New Jersey
- Oct 4 Kyra Schon, American actress (Night Of The Living Dead), born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
- Oct 4 Russell Simmons, American hip-hop music magnate (Def Jam), and entrepreneur, born in Queens, New York
- Oct 5 Bernie Mac, American comedian (d. 2008)
- Oct 5 Jeanne Evert, tennis player, Chris' sister
- Oct 5 Larry Saumell, American jockey (d. 2011)
- Oct 5 Lee "Kix" Thompson, saxophonist (Madness - "Baggy Trousers", "Our House"), born in St Pancras, London, England
- Oct 5 Mark Geragos, American attorney
Jayne Torvill (66 years old)
Oct 7 English ice dancer (Torvill & Dean, Olympic gold 1984), born in Nottingham, England
- Oct 8 Antonio Cabrini, Italian footballer (Juventus, Italian national team 1982 FIFA Champion), born in Cremona, Italy
- Oct 8 James DePaiva, American actor (Max Holden-One Life to Live), born in Livermore, California
- Oct 8 Joe Castiglione, American college athletic director, born in Fort Lauderdale, Florida
- Oct 9 Don Garber, American sports executive (Commissioner USMLS 1999- ), born in New York City
- Oct 9 Ini Kamoze [Cecil Campbell], Jamaican reggae singer ("Here Comes the Hotstepper"), born in Saint Mary's, Jamaica
- Oct 9 Yuri Usachyov, Russian cosmonaut (Soyuz TM-18, TM-23), born in Donetsk, Russia
- Oct 10 Rumiko Takahashi, Japanese artist, born in Niigata, Japan
- Oct 11 Blair Cunningham, American rock drummer (Haircut 100), born in Memphis, Tennessee
- Oct 11 Dawn French, Welsh comedian and TV actress (Supergrass, French & Saunders, The Vicar of Dibley), born in Holyhead, Wales
- Oct 11 Paul Bown, English actor (Watching), born in Fenton, Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire, England
- Oct 11 Paul Sereno, American paleontologist (discovered several new dinosaur species), born in Aurora, Illinois
- Oct 14 Kenny Neal, American blues musician (Let Life Flow), born in New Orleans, Louisiana
- Oct 14 Michel Després, Quebec politician
- Oct 15 Marco Cornez, Chilean soccer goalkeeper, (20 caps; FC Deportivo Palestino, Universidad Católica, Everton de Viña del Mar), born in Valparaíso, Chile (d. 2022)
- Oct 15 Mira Nair, Indian-American filmmaker (Monsoon Wedding), born in Rourkela, Odisha, India
- Oct 15 Stacy Peralta, American film director (Dogtown and Z-Boys), born in Venice, California
- Oct 17 (Giuseppe) "Pino" Palladino, Italian-Welsh session and touring rock bassist (Paul Young; The Who; John Mayer Trio), born in Cardiff, Wales, United Kingdom
- Oct 17 Lawrence Bender, American film producer (Reservoir Dogs; Death Proof; Django Unchained; An Inconvenient Truth), born in The Bronx, New York
- Oct 17 Steve McMichael, American Pro Football HOF defensive tackle (Uni of Texas; Super Bowl XX; First-team All-Pro 1985, 87; Pro Bowl 1986, 87, Chicago Bears), born in Houston, Texas
- Oct 17 Vincent Van Patten, Belrose NY, actor (Apple's Way, 3 for the Road)
- Oct 18 Doug Isaacson, American politician (Mayor of North Pole, Alaska, 2006-12), born in Seattle, Washington
- Oct 18 Jon Lindstrom, American actor (General Hospital, 1992-97, 2013-present - "Kevin Collins" & "Ryan Chamberlain"), born in Medford, Oregon
- Oct 19 Doug Kirby, American travel guide writer (Roadside America), born in Holmdel, New Jersey
- Oct 19 Karl Wallinger, Welsh rocker and songwriter (The Waterboys, 1983-85; World Party - "Give It All Away"; "Ship Of Fools"), born in Prestatyn, Wales (d. 2024)
- Oct 19 Ray Richmond, American columnist and media critic (Hollywood Reporter; Deadline Hollywood), born in Whittier, California
- Oct 20 Chris Cowdrey, English cricket batsman and captain (6 Tests, 3 ODIs; son of Colin), born in Farnborough, London
- Oct 20 Susanna Haavisto, Finnish actress and singer, born in Helsinki, Finland
- Oct 21 Julian Cope [Kevin Stapleton], British pop musician (Eve's Volcano), born in Deri, Monmouthshire, Wales
- Oct 21 Steve Lukather, American rock singer, guitarist, arranger, producer (Toto - "Africa"; Ringo's All-Starr Band, since 2012), born in San Fernando Valley, California
- Oct 21 Wolfgang Ketterle, German physicist, Nobel laureate
Paul Kagame (66 years old)
Oct 23 Rwandan leader, head of Rwandan Patriotic Front, President of Rwanda (2000-), born in Tambwe, Ruanda-Urundi
- Oct 24 (Elizabeth) Sarah Greene, British television presenter and actress (Blue Peter, 1980-83; Going Live!), born in St Pancras, London, England
- Oct 24 John Kassir, American actor and comedian, born in Baltimore, Maryland
- Oct 24 Ron Gardenhire, German-American baseball manager, born in Butzbach, Hessen, West Germany
- Oct 24 Vladimir Markelov, Russian gymnast (Olympic gold team 1980, silver 1976; World C'ship gold team 1979, silver 1974), born in Chelyabinsk, Russia (d. 2023)
- Oct 25 Robbie Macintosh, English rock session and touring guitarist (The Pretenders, 1982-87 - "Don't Get Me Wrong"; "2000 Miles"; Paul McCartney, 1988-93), born in Sutton, Surrey, England
- Oct 26 Bob Golic, American football player, born in Cleveland, Ohio
- Oct 27 Glenn Hoddle, English soccer midfielder (53 caps; Tottenham; Monaco, Swindon, Chelsea) and manager (England, Southampton, Tottenham, Wolverhampton), born in London, England
- Oct 27 Jeff East, American actor (Huckleberry Finn, Superman), born in Kansas City, Missouri
- Oct 28 Stephen Morris, British pop drummer (Joy Division - "Atmosphere"; New Order), born in Macclesfield, Cheshire, England.
- Oct 29 Dan Castellaneta, American comedian, and Emmy Award-winning voice actor (The Simpsons -"Homer"), born in Chicago, Illinois
- Oct 30 Aleksandr Lazutkin, Russian cosmonaut (Soyuz TM-25), born in Moscow, Russia
- Oct 30 Jacintha [Abisheganaden], Indian-Cantonese-Singaporean jazz singer, and stage actress (TheatreWorks), born in Singapore
- Oct 31 Brian Stokes Mitchell, American Broadway singer and actor, born in Seattle, Washington
- Oct 31 Robert Pollard, American rock singer-songwriter (Guided by Voices), born in Dayton, Ohio
Famous Weddings
Marlon Brando
Oct 14 American "On The Waterfront" actor Marlon Brando (33) weds British actress Anna Kashfi (23); divorce in 1959
- Oct 24 Singer Bing Cosby marries second wife actress Kathryn Grant
Famous Deaths
- Oct 3 Bernard Maybeck, American architect (Palace of Fine Arts, San Francisco), dies at 95
- Oct 10 Karl Genzken, Nazi physician, Chief of the Medical Office of the Waffen-SS, dies at 72
- Oct 14 [Carl] Natanael Berg, Swedish composer, dies at 78
- Oct 17 Henny Eman, Aruban politician who founded the Aruban People's Party, dies at 70
- Oct 19 V. Gordon Childe, British archaeologist and prehistorian, dies at 65
Christian Dior (1905-1957)
Oct 23 French fashion designer (New Look), dies of a heart attack at 52
- Oct 23 Frederick Burton, American actor (The Big Trail, One Way Passage), dies at 86
Albert Anastasia (1902-1957)
Oct 25 Italian-American mobster and crime boss (Murder Inc), murdered at 55
- Oct 25 Edward Plunkett, 18th Baron of Dunsany, Irish sci-fi writer (Time & Gods), dies at 79
- Oct 25 Henry Van de Velde, Flemish painter and architect (Art Nouveau), dies at 94
- Oct 25 Maria "Mary" Beekman, Flemish actress (Genius Against Violence; Modern Landhaaien), dies at 73
- Oct 26 Níkos Kazantzákis, prominent Greek writer and philosopher (Zorba the Greek, The Last Temptation of Christ), dies at 74
- Oct 28 Tony Morabito, American football executive who founded and co-owned the San Francisco 49ers, dies of a heart attack at 47
Louis B. Mayer (1884-1957)
Oct 29 American film producer and creator of the star system (MGM), dies at 71
- Oct 29 Rosemarie Nitribitt, German call girl, strangled in her apartment in an unsolved murder at 24
