10 October

Across recorded history, 1,564 notable lives are recorded as having ended on 10 October. Below are the 24 most widely documented — ranked by how many language editions of Wikipedia carry an article about them.

← October 9 October 11 →

Édith Piaf

1915–1963

French singer

Édith Piaf was a French singer who achieved international recognition for her performances of chanson.

Orson Welles

1915–1985

American actor and filmmaker

Orson Welles was an American filmmaker and actor known for his work in radio, theater, and cinema.

Sirimavo Bandaranaike

1916–2000

Prime Minister of Ceylon (later Sri Lanka) from 1960–65, 1970–77, 1994–2000

Sirimavo Bandaranaike was a politician who served as the Prime Minister of Ceylon and later Sri Lanka.

Ludwig von Mises

1881–1973

Austrian-American economist

Ludwig von Mises was an economist who contributed to the development of the Austrian School of economic thought.

Christopher Reeve

1952–2004

American actor

Christopher Reeve was an American actor known for his work in film, television, and theater.

Charles Fourier

1772–1837

French utopian socialist and philosopher

Charles Fourier was a French philosopher who developed the theory of utopian socialism.

Yul Brynner

1920–1985

Russian-born American actor

Yul Brynner was a Russian-born American actor known for his extensive work in film, television, and on the stage.

Édouard Daladier

1884–1970

French politician

Édouard Daladier was a French politician who served as the Prime Minister of France.

Milton Obote

1925–2005

President of Uganda (1966–1971; 1980–1985)

Milton Obote was a politician who served as the President of Uganda.

Aleksey Konstantinovich Tolstoy

1817–1875

count, Russian poet, novelist and playwright

Aleksey Konstantinovich Tolstoy was a Russian poet, novelist, and playwright.

William H. Seward

1801–1872

American lawyer and politician

William H. Seward was an American politician who served as the United States Secretary of State.

Lyudmila Pavlichenko

1916–1974

Soviet sniper

Lyudmila Pavlichenko was a Soviet sniper who served in the military.

Carol I of Romania

1839–1914

King of Romania from 1881 to 1914

Carol I of Romania was a monarch who served as the King of Romania.

Katsura Tarō

1848–1913

Japanese general and politician

Katsura Tarō was a Japanese politician and general who served multiple terms as the Prime Minister of Japan.

Masahiro Hamazaki

1940–2011

Japanese association football player

Masahiro Hamazaki was a Japanese association football player.

Joan Sutherland

1926–2010

Australian soprano

Joan Sutherland was an Australian opera singer recognized for her significant contributions to the field of classical vocal performance.

Ralph Richardson

1902–1983

British actor

Ralph Richardson was a British actor who performed extensively in film, television, and theatre throughout his career.

Scott Carpenter

1925–2013

American test pilot, astronaut and aquanaut

Scott Carpenter was an astronaut who served as a test pilot and an aquanaut.

Abdul Qadeer Khan

1936–2021

Pakistani nuclear engineer

Abdul Qadeer Khan was a Pakistani nuclear engineer who contributed to the development of his country's nuclear weapons program.

Eddie Cantor

1892–1964

American comedian and actor

Eddie Cantor was an American comedian and actor who performed across stage, film, and radio.

Martha Jefferson Randolph

1772–1836

First Lady of the United States from 1801 to 1809

Martha Jefferson Randolph served as the First Lady of the United States.

Adolf Engler

1844–1930

German botanist

Adolf Engler was a German botanist who developed a widely used system for the classification of plants.

Guru Dutt

1925–1964

Indian film director, producer, choreographer and actor

Guru Dutt was an Indian film director who worked as a choreographer, actor, screenwriter, editor, and producer.

Stephen Gately

1976–2009

Irish pop singer

Stephen Gately was an Irish singer who performed as a member of the pop group Boyzone.

Source: Wikidata, released into the public domain under CC0. Snapshot: 2026-07. Names, dates and roles come from Wikidata; summaries are condensed from it. Nothing here is generated to fill a gap.