2 October

Across recorded history, 1,447 notable lives are recorded as having ended on 2 October. Below are the 24 most widely documented — ranked by how many language editions of Wikipedia carry an article about them.

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Svante August Arrhenius

1859–1927

Swedish astronomer, chemist and physicist

Svante August Arrhenius was a chemist who formulated the theory of electrolytic dissociation.

Jamal Khashoggi

1958–2018

Saudi journalist

Jamal Khashoggi was a journalist who worked as a political writer.

Ernest Renan

1823–1892

French philosopher and writer

Ernest Renan was a French philosopher and writer who specialized in the study of religious history and Semitic languages.

François Arago

1786–1853

French mathematician, physicist, astronomer and politician

François Arago was a French physicist who contributed to the fields of mathematics, astronomy, and politics.

Paavo Nurmi

1897–1973

Finnish middle and long distance runner

Paavo Nurmi was a Finnish long-distance runner who competed in middle and long distance events.

Rock Hudson

1925–1985

American actor

Rock Hudson was an American actor who gained prominence for his roles in film and television.

Samuel Adams

1722–1803

American statesman, political philosopher, governor of Massachusetts and Founding Father of the United States

Samuel Adams was an American statesman and Founding Father who served as the governor of Massachusetts.

Giya Kancheli

1935–2019

Soviet and Georgian composer

Giya Kancheli was a Georgian composer known for his symphonic works and film scores.

Raja Ravi Varma

1848–1906

Indian painter from Kerala

Raja Ravi Varma was an Indian painter from Kerala known for his contributions to the development of Indian art.

Peter Medawar

1915–1987

English-brazilian biologist

Peter Medawar was an immunologist known for his research on skin grafts and the acquired immune tolerance of the human body.

Vasily Shukshin

1929–1974

Soviet actor, writer, screenwriter and film director

Vasily Shukshin was a Soviet filmmaker and writer known for his contributions to cinema and literature.

Marie Stopes

1880–1958

British birth control campaigner and paleontologist

Marie Stopes was a paleontologist and birth control campaigner who advocated for reproductive health and family planning.

Max Bruch

1838–1920

German romantic composer and conductor

Max Bruch was a German composer and conductor known for his contributions to the romantic musical tradition.

Ignacy Mościcki

1867–1946

President of Poland from 1926 to 1939

Ignacy Mościcki was a politician who served as the President of Poland.

Nicolas-Joseph Cugnot

1725–1804

French inventor

Nicolas-Joseph Cugnot was an inventor who built the first self-propelled mechanical vehicle.

Gene Autry

1907–1998

American actor and singer

Gene Autry was an American actor and singer known for his career as a singing cowboy.

Marek Edelman

1919–2009

(1919–2009) Jewish resistance member

Marek Edelman was a Jewish resistance member who participated in the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising.

Petr Uspensky

1878–1947

Russian esotericist

Petr Uspensky was a Russian philosopher who authored works on esoteric systems and the nature of consciousness.

George Bancroft

1882–1956

American actor

George Bancroft was an American actor who appeared in numerous stage and film productions.

Otto Günsche

1917–2003

Hitler's personal adjutant

Otto Günsche was a soldier who served as the personal adjutant to Adolf Hitler.

Paul Halmos

1916–2006

American mathematician

Paul Halmos was an American mathematician who contributed significantly to the fields of logic, probability theory, and functional analysis.

Wilhelm II of Württemberg

1848–1921

King of Württemberg

Wilhelm II of Württemberg was the monarch who served as the final King of Württemberg.

Alexandru Averescu

1859–1938

Marshal and former Prime Minister of Romania

Alexandru Averescu was a Romanian military officer who served as Prime Minister.

Neville Marriner

1924–2016

British conductor and violinist

Neville Marriner was a British conductor and violinist who founded the Academy of St Martin in the Fields.

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.