21 October

Across recorded history, 1,514 notable lives are recorded as having ended on 21 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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Jack Kerouac

1922–1969

American writer

Jack Kerouac was an American writer known for his work as a novelist.

François Truffaut

1932–1984

French film director

François Truffaut was a French film director who contributed to the development of the French New Wave cinema movement.

Arthur Schnitzler

1862–1931

Austrian writer

Arthur Schnitzler was an Austrian writer known for his plays and prose exploring human psychology.

Albert Szent-Györgyi

1893–1986

Hungarian biochemist, Nobel Prize laureate in Physiology or Medicine in 1937

Albert Szent-Györgyi was a Hungarian biochemist who received the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine.

Bobby Charlton

1937–2023

English association football player and manager

Bobby Charlton was an English association football player and manager.

Anastas Mikoyan

1895–1978

Soviet revolutionary and statesman

Anastas Mikoyan was a Soviet statesman who served as a revolutionary and party organizer throughout his career.

Gough Whitlam

1916–2014

Australian politician, 21st Prime Minister of Australia

Gough Whitlam was an Australian politician who served as the Prime Minister of Australia.

Ejnar Hertzsprung

1873–1967

Danish astronomer and chemist

Ejnar Hertzsprung was an astronomer who developed the Hertzsprung-Russell diagram to classify stars by their luminosity and temperature.

Hans Asperger

1906–1980

Austrian pediatrician, medical theorist, and medical professor

Hans Asperger was an Austrian pediatrician who conducted early research on autism spectrum disorders.

Elliott Smith

1969–2003

American musician

Elliott Smith was an American musician and songwriter known for his acoustic compositions.

George McGovern

1922–2012

American historian and politician

George McGovern was a politician and historian who served as a diplomat and university teacher.

Yash Chopra

1932–2012

Indian film director, script writer and film producer

Yash Chopra was an Indian film director who produced and wrote numerous motion pictures.

Hilma af Klint

1862–1944

Swedish artist

Hilma af Klint was a Swedish artist who created abstract paintings.

Wacław Sierpiński

1882–1969

Polish mathematician

Wacław Sierpiński was a Polish mathematician who made significant contributions to set theory and topology.

Melchior Ndadaye

1953–1993

President of Burundi

Melchior Ndadaye was a politician who served as the President of Burundi.

Bernard Haitink

1929–2021

Dutch conductor and violinist

Bernard Haitink was a Dutch conductor who served as the principal conductor for several major international orchestras.

Nikoloz Baratashvili

1817–1845

Georgian poet

Nikoloz Baratashvili was a Georgian poet who is recognized as a significant figure in the development of Romanticism within his country's literature.

José Hernández

1834–1886

Argentine writer

José Hernández was an Argentine writer best known for authoring the epic poem Martín Fierro.

Isabelle Eberhardt

1877–1904

Swiss explorer and author

Isabelle Eberhardt was an explorer and author who traveled extensively throughout North Africa.

Halyna Hutchins

1979–2021

Ukrainian-American cinematographer and investigative journalist

Halyna Hutchins was a Ukrainian-American cinematographer and investigative journalist.

Paul Di'Anno

1958–2024

British heavy metal singer

Paul Di'Anno was a British heavy metal singer who served as the original vocalist for the band Iron Maiden.

Eduard Heine

1821–1881

German mathematician

Eduard Heine was a German mathematician who worked as a university teacher.

Marge Champion

1919–2020

American dancer and actress

Marge Champion was an American dancer and actress who performed in film, television, and stage productions.

Henry Knox

1750–1806

American general and Secretary of War

Henry Knox was a military officer who served as the United States Secretary of War.

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.