11 October

Across recorded history, 1,476 notable lives are recorded as having ended on 11 October. Below are the 24 most widely documented — ranked by how many language editions of Wikipedia carry an article about them.

← October 10 October 12 →

James Prescott Joule

1818–1889

English physicist and brewer

James Prescott Joule was an English physicist who formulated the relationship between mechanical work and heat.

Jean Cocteau

1889–1963

French writer and film director

Jean Cocteau was a French writer and film director known for his diverse contributions to literature and cinema.

Karl Adolph Gjellerup

1857–1919

Danish writer

Karl Adolph Gjellerup was a Danish writer who authored numerous novels, plays, and poems.

Anton Bruckner

1824–1896

Austrian composer

Anton Bruckner was an Austrian composer known for his symphonies and his work as an organist.

Alexey Leonov

1934–2019

Soviet pilot and cosmonaut, first human to conduct a spacewalk

Cosmonaut Alexey Leonov was the first human to conduct a spacewalk.

Angela Lansbury

1925–2022

British-American-Irish actress and singer

Angela Lansbury was an actress and singer who performed extensively in film, television, and theater throughout her career.

Jörg Haider

1950–2008

Austrian politician

Jörg Haider was an Austrian politician who served as the governor of Carinthia.

Chinmoy Kumar Ghose

1931–2007

Indian writer and spiritual teacher

Chinmoy Kumar Ghose was an Indian writer and spiritual teacher who engaged in various artistic and athletic pursuits.

Dorothea Lange

1895–1965

American photojournalist

Dorothea Lange was a photojournalist who documented the human impact of the Great Depression in the United States.

William Vickrey

1914–1996

Canadian-American professor of economics and Nobel Laureate

Economist William Vickrey was a professor and Nobel Laureate.

Jean-Henri Fabre

1823–1915

French entomologist and author

Jean-Henri Fabre was a French entomologist who authored extensive studies on the behavior and life cycles of insects.

Georges Dumézil

1898–1986

French philologist

Georges Dumézil was a French philologist who specialized in the comparative study of Indo-European religions and social structures.

Vito Volterra

1860–1940

Italian mathematician and mathematical physicist

Vito Volterra was an Italian mathematician and physicist who made significant contributions to the development of mathematical biology and integral equations.

Johannes R. Becher

1891–1958

German politician, novelist and poet

Johannes R. Becher was a German politician and writer who served as the first Minister of Culture of the German Democratic Republic.

Lars Ahlfors

1907–1996

Finnish mathematician

Lars Ahlfors was a mathematician who served as a university teacher.

Robert Forster

1941–2019

American actor

Robert Forster was an American actor known for his extensive career in film and television.

Meriwether Lewis

1774–1809

American explorer

Meriwether Lewis was an American explorer who led the expedition to map the territory of the Louisiana Purchase.

Louise of Orléans

1812–1850

French princess (1832-1850); queen consort of the Belgians

Louise of Orléans was a French princess who served as the queen consort of the Belgians.

Gotthold Eisenstein

1823–1852

German mathematician

Gotthold Eisenstein was a German mathematician who made significant contributions to the fields of number theory and analysis.

Enrique Ballestrero

1905–1969

Uruguayan footballer

Enrique Ballestrero was a Uruguayan footballer who played as a goalkeeper.

Helmut Haller

1939–2012

German footballer

Helmut Haller was a German association football player who competed professionally in both Germany and Italy.

Chico Marx

1887–1961

American comedian

Chico Marx was an American comedian who performed as a member of the Marx Brothers.

Jean-Baptiste Carpeaux

1827–1875

French sculptor and painter

Jean-Baptiste Carpeaux was a French sculptor who also worked as a painter.

Bonita Granville

1923–1988

American actress

Bonita Granville was an American actress who worked in both film and television.

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.