October 15 leap years ) in the Gregorian calendar . There are 77 days remaining until the end of the year.
533 - Byzantine general Belisarius makes his formal entry into Carthage , having conquered it from the Vandals .
1552 - Khanate of Kazan is conquered by troops of Ivan Grozny .
1582 - Pope Gregory XIII implements the Gregorian calendar . In Italy , Poland , Portugal , and Spain , October 4 of this year is followed directly by October 15.
1764 - Edward Gibbon observes a group of friars singing in the ruined Temple of Jupiter in Rome , which inspires him to begin work on The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire 1815 - Napoleon I of France begins his exile on Saint Helena in the Atlantic Ocean .
1863 - American Civil War : The CSS H. L. Hunley , the first submarine to sink a ship, sinks during a test, killing its inventor, Horace L. Hunley.
1878 - The Edison Electric Light Company begins operation.
1880 - Mexican soldiers kill Victorio , one of the greatest Apache military strategists.
1888 - The "From Hell" letter sent by Jack the Ripper is received by the investigators.
1894 - Alfred Dreyfus is arrested for spying - Dreyfus affair begins.
1904 - The Russian Baltic Fleet leaves Reval , Estonia for Port Arthur during the Russo-Japanese War .
1917 - World War I : At Vincennes outside of Paris , Dutch dancer Mata Hari is executed by firing squad for spying for Germany .
1928 - The airship, the Graf Zeppelin completed its first trans-Atlantic flight, landing at Lakehurst , USA .
1932 - Tata Airlines (later to become Air India ) makes its first flight.
1934 - The Soviet Republic of China collapses when Chiang Kai-shek 's National Revolutionary Army successfully encircle Ruijin , forcing the fleeing Communists to begin the Long March .
1939 - The New York Municipal Airport (later renamed La Guardia Airport ) is dedicated.
1940 - "The Great Dictator ", a satiric social commentary film by and starring Charlie Chaplin , is released.
1944 - The Arrow Cross Party (very similar to Hitler's NSDAP (Nazi party)) takes over the power in Hungary.
1945 - World War II : The former premier of Vichy France Pierre Laval is shot by a firing squad for treason .
1946 - Nuremberg Trials : Hermann Göring poisons himself the night before his execution.
1951 - Television sitcom I Love Lucy 1951 - Mexican chemist Luis E. Miramontes synthesized the first oral contraceptive
1953 - British nuclear test Totem 1 detonated at Emu Field , South Australia .
1965 - Vietnam War : The National Coordinating Committee to End the War in Vietnam stages the first public burning of a draft card in the United States to result in arrest under a new law.
1969 - Vietnam War : Hundreds of thousands of people take part in National Moratorium antiwar demonstrations across the United States.
1970 - Thirty-five construction workers are killed when a section of the new West Gate Bridge in Melbourne collapses.
1970 - Anwar Sadat becomes president of Egypt
1971 - The start of the 2500-year celebration of Iran , celebrating the birth of Persia .
1981 - Professional cheerleader Krazy George Henderson leads what is thought to be the first audience wave in Oakland .
1987 - The Great Storm of 1987 hits France and England.
1989 - Wayne Gretzky becomes the all-time leading points scorer in the NHL .
1990 - Soviet Union leader Mikhail Gorbachev is awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts to lessen Cold War tensions and open up his nation.
1992 - In Russia , Andrei Chikatilo is found guilty of 53 serial murders .
1997 - The first supersonic land speed record is set by Andy Green in ThrustSSC United Kingdom ).
1997 - The Cassini probe launches from Cape Canaveral on its way to Saturn .
2001 - NASA 's Galileo spacecraft passes within 112 miles of Jupiter 's moon Io .
2003 - China launches Shenzhou 5 , its first manned space mission .
2003 - The Staten Island Ferry boat Andrew J. Barberi collides with a pier at the St. George Ferry Terminal in Staten Island , killing 11 people and injuring 43.
2005 - Iraqi constitution ratification vote
2005 - Riot in Toledo breaks out during a National Socialist/Neo-Nazi protest; over 100 are arrested.
2007 - Sir Menzies Campbell resigns effective immediately as Leader of the Liberal Democrats in the United Kingdom.
70 BC - Virgil , Roman poet (d. 19 BC )
1471 - Konrad Mutian , German humanist (d. 1526 )
1542 - Akbar, Jellaladin Mahommed , Mughal Emperor (d. 1605 )
1608 - Evangelista Torricelli , Italian physicist (d. 1647 )
1686 - Allan Ramsay , Scottish poet (d. 1758 )
1701 - Marie-Marguerite d'Youville , first native Canadian canonized (d. 1771 )
1711 - Elisabeth Teresa of Lorraine , queen of Sardinia (d. 1741 )
1784 - Thomas Robert Bugeaud , Marshal of France and duke of Isly (d. 1849 )
1814 - Mikhail Lermontov , Russian author (d. 1841 )
1825 - Queen Marie of Prussia (d. 1889 )
1829 - Asaph Hall , American astronomer (d. 1907 )
1836 - James Tissot , French artist (d. 1902 )
1840 - Honoré Mercier , politician and premier of Quebec (d. 1894 )
1844 - Friedrich Nietzsche , German philosopher (d. 1900 )
1858 - John L. Sullivan , American boxer (d. 1918 )
1872 - Wilhelm Miklas , Austrian president (d. 1956 )
1874 - Prince Alfred of Edinburgh (d. 1899 )
1878 - Paul Reynaud , French politician (d. 1966 )
1879 - Jane Darwell , Academy Award -winning American actress (d. 1967 )
1881 - P. G. Wodehouse , British novelist (d. 1975 )
1882 - Charley O'Leary , American baseball player (d. 1941 )
1884 - Arch Hoxsey , pioneer aviator (d. 1910 )
1893 - King Carol II of Romania (d. 1953 )
1894 - Moshe Sharett , second Prime Minister of Israel (d. 1965 )
1898 - Boughera El Ouafi , Algerian athlete (d. 1951 )
1900 - Mervyn LeRoy , American film director (d. 1987 )
1905 - C. P. Snow , British writer (d. 1980 )
1906 - Hiram Leong Fong , American politician (d. 2004 )
1907 - Varian Fry , American journalist (d. 1967 )
1908 - John Kenneth Galbraith , Canadian economist (d. 2006 )
1909 - Robert Trout , American reporter (d. 2000 )
1909 - Jesse Leonard Greenstein , American astronomer (d. 2002 )
1915 - Yitzhak Shamir , Israeli politician
1917 - Jan Miner , American actress (d. 2004 )
1917 - Arthur Schlesinger Jr. , American historian and political commentator (d. 2007 )
1920 - Mario Puzo , American novelist (d. 1999 )
1920 - Henri Verneuil , French film director (d. 2002 )
1922 - Agustina Bessa-Luís , Portuguese writer
1923 - Italo Calvino . Italian writer (d. 1985 )
1924 - Lee Iacocca , American industrialist
1924 - Mark Lenard , American actor (d. 1996 )
1924 - Marguerite Andersen , German writer
1925 - Mickey Baker , American guitarist (Mickey & Sylvia )
1926 - Michel Foucault , French philosopher (d. 1984 )
1926 - Evan Hunter , American author (d. 2005 )
1926 - Jean Peters , American actress (d. 2000 )
1926 - Karl Richter , German conductor (d. 1981 )
1930 - Fereydun M. Esfandiary , Iranian philosopher (d. 2000 )
1931 - Avul Pakir Jainulabdeen Abdul Kalam , President of India
1934 - N. Ramani , Indian flutist
1935 - Bobby Joe Morrow , American sprinter
1935 - Barry McGuire , American singer
1938 - Fela Kuti , Nigerian musician (d. 1997 )
1938 - Marv Johnson , American singer (d. 1993 )
1940 - Tommy Bishop , English rugby league player
1940 - Peter Doherty , Australian immunologist, Nobel laureate
1942 - Penny Marshall , American actress
1944 - Sali Berisha , President of Albania
1944 - David Trimble , Irish politician, Nobel laureate
1944 - Haim Saban , Egyptian-born American media proprietor
1945 - Jere Burns , American actor
1945 - Jim Palmer , American baseball player
1946 - Richard Carpenter , American musician (The Carpenters )
1948 - Chris de Burgh , Irish singer and songwriter
1953 - Tito Jackson , American musician
1953 - Larry Miller , American actor and comedian
1953 - Betsy Clifford , Canadian alpine skier
1954 - Peter Bakowski , Australian poet
1955 - Kulbir Bhaura , British field hockey player
1955 - Tanya Roberts , American actress
1957 - Mira Nair , Indian director
1957 - Stacy Peralta , American director
1959 - Sarah Ferguson , Duchess of York
1959 - Emeril Lagasse , American chef
1959 - Todd Solondz , American film director
1961 - John Kenny , Irish sports broadcaster and journalist
1964 - Roberto Vittori , Italian astronaut
1966 - Jorge Campos , Mexican footballer
1968 - Jyrki 69 , Finnish musician The 69 Eyes
1968 - Didier Deschamps , French football player
1969 - Vanessa Marcil , American actress
1969 - Dominic West , British actor
1969 - Vítor Baía , Portuguese footballer
1970 - Eric Benét , American singer
1971 - Andy Cole , British footballer
1971 - Jason Arhndt , American wrestler
1972 - Matt Keeslar , American actor
1972 - Sandra Kim , Belgian singer
1975 - Ginuwine , American singer
1975 - Glen Little , English footballer
1976 - Yoon Son-ha , South Korean actress and singer
1977 - Masato Kawabata , Japanese racing driver
1977 - Erin McKeown , American musician
1977 - David Trezeguet , French football player
1977 - Patricio Urrutia , Ecuadorian footballer
1978 - Devon Gummersall , American actor
1978 - Takeshi Morishima Japanese professional wrestler
1979 - Paul Robinson , English football player
1979 - Māris Verpakovskis , Latvian football player
1980 - Tom Boonen , Belgian cyclist
1980 - Siiri Nordin , Finnish singer (Killer )
1981 - Keyshia Cole , African American R&B singer
1981 - Elena Dementieva , Russian tennis player
1981 - Guo Jingjing , Chinese diver
1981 - Radoslav Židek , Slovak snowboarder
1982 - Paulini Curuenavuli , Fijian singer
1982 - Charline Labonté , French Canadian ice hockey goaltender
1983 - Stephy Tang , Hong Kong singer and actress
1985 - Walter López , Uruguayan footballer
1985 - Marcos Martinez Ucha , Spanish racing driver
1986 - Lee Donghae , Korean singer (a member of super junior)
1987 - Jesse Levine , American tennis player
1992 - Vincent Martella , American actor
2005 - Prince Christian of Denmark
412 - Theophilus , Patriarch of Alexandria
898 - Lambert
912 - Abdullah ibn Muhammad , Emir of Córdoba
1002 - Otto-Henry (b. 946 )
1080 - Rudolf of Rheinfeld , Duke of Swabia
1326 - Walter de Stapledon , English bishop (b. 1261 )
1389 - Pope Urban VI
1564 - Vesalius , Flemish anatomist (b. 1514 )
1715 - Humphry Ditton , English mathematician (b. 1675 )
1730 - Antoine Laumet de La Mothe , French explorer (b. 1658 )
1788 - Samuel Greig , Scottish-Russian admiral (b. 1735 )
1810 - Alfred Moore , American judge (b. 1755 )
1811 - Nathaniel Dance-Holland , English painter (b. 1735 )
1817 - Tadeusz Kościuszko , Polish and Lithuanian national hero (b. 1746 )
1819 - Sergey Vyazmitinov , Russian general and statesman (b. 1744 )
1820 - Karl Philipp Fürst zu Schwarzenberg , Austrian field marshal (b. 1771 )
1837 - Ivan Dmitriev , Russian statesman and poet (b. 1760 )
1880 - Victorio , Apache leader
1891 - Gilbert Arthur a Beckett , English writer (b. 1837 )
1900 - Zdeněk Fibich , Czech composer (b. 1850 )
1910 - Stanley Ketchel , boxer (murdered) (b. 1886 )
1917 - Mata Hari , Dutch dancer and spy (b. 1876 )
1918 - Shirdi Sai Baba , Indian guru (b. circa 1838 )
1930 - Herbert Henry Dow , American chemical industrialist (b. 1866 )
1934 - Raymond Poincaré , French statesman (b. 1860 )
1945 - Pierre Laval , Prime Minister of Vichy France (executed) (b. 1883 )
1946 - Hermann Göring , German air force commander (suicide) (b. 1893 )
1948 - Edythe Chapman , American actress (b. 1863 )
1959 - Lipót Fejér , Hungarian mathematician (b. 1880 )
1960 - Clara Kimball Young , American actress (b. 1890 )
1963 - Horton Smith . American golfer (b. 1908 )
1964 - Cole Porter , American composer (b. 1891 )
1976 - Carlo Gambino , American gangster (b. 1902 )
1980 - Mikhail Lavrentyev , Russian physicist and mathematician (b. 1900 )
1980 - Apostolos Nikolaidis , Greek footballer and volleyball player (b. 1896 )
1981 - Philip Fotheringham-Parker , British racing driver (b. 1907 )
1987 - Thomas Sankara , African revolutionary and leader of Burkina Faso (assassinated) (b. 1949 )
1988 - Kaikhosru Shapurji Sorabji , English composer and pianist (b. 1892 )
1994 - Sarah Kofman , French philosopher (b. 1934 )
1995 - Marco Campos , Brazilian racing driver (b. 1976 )
2000 - Konrad Emil Bloch , German-born biochemist, recipient of the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine (b. 1912 )
2001 - Zhang Xueliang , Chinese ruler of Manchuria (b. 1901 )
2003 - Bertram N. Brockhouse , Canadian physicist, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1918 )
2003 - Ben Metcalfe , Canadian environmental activist (b. 1919 )
2005 - Jason Collier , American basketball player (b. 1977 )
2005 - Matti Wuori , Finnish politician (b. 1945 )
Holidays and observances External links
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