24 October

Across recorded history, 1,498 notable lives are recorded as having ended on 24 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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Rosa Parks

1913–2005

civil rights activist

Rosa Parks was a civil rights activist who became a central figure in the movement to end racial segregation.

Christian Dior

1905–1957

French fashion designer

Christian Dior was a French fashion designer who founded his own influential couture house.

Vidkun Quisling

1887–1945

Norwegian politician and Nazi collaborator

Vidkun Quisling was a Norwegian politician who served as a wartime collaborator.

John McCarthy

1927–2011

American computer scientist and cognitive scientist

John McCarthy was a computer scientist who pioneered the field of artificial intelligence.

Gene Roddenberry

1921–1991

American television screenwriter and producer

Television producer Gene Roddenberry created the science fiction franchise Star Trek.

Bernardo O'Higgins

1778–1842

Chilean independence leader

Bernardo O'Higgins was a Chilean independence leader who served as a military officer and politician.

G. E. Moore

1873–1958

English philosopher

G. E. Moore was an English philosopher known for his contributions to analytic philosophy and ethics.

Maureen O'Hara

1920–2015

Irish–American actress and singer

Maureen O'Hara was an Irish-American actress and singer known for her work in film, television, and stage productions.

Fats Domino

1928–2017

American pianist and singer

Fats Domino was an American pianist and singer who influenced the development of rock and roll music.

László Bíró

1899–1985

Hungarian inventor

László Bíró was an inventor who developed the modern ballpoint pen.

Jackie Robinson

1919–1972

American baseball player

Jackie Robinson was a baseball player who became the first African American to play in Major League Baseball in the modern era.

Sirikit

1932–2025

Queen Consort of Thailand from 1950 to 2016, since then Queen Mother

Sirikit served as the Queen Consort of Thailand and later held the title of Queen Mother.

Franz Lehár

1870–1948

Komárom-born Austrian music composer

Franz Lehár was an Austrian composer who wrote numerous operettas.

David Oistrakh

1908–1974

Soviet violinist

David Oistrakh was a Soviet violinist who also served as a conductor, violist, and music educator.

Gladwyn Jebb

1900–1996

acting Secretary-General of the United Nations

Gladwyn Jebb was a diplomat who served as the acting Secretary-General of the United Nations.

Daniel Webster

1782–1852

14th and 19th United States Secretary of State

Daniel Webster was a politician who served as the United States Secretary of State.

Seishiro Shimatani

1938–2001

Japanese association football player

Seishiro Shimatani was a Japanese association football player who also served as a coach.

Ernst Barlach

1870–1938

German expressionist sculptor, printmaker and writer

Ernst Barlach was a German expressionist sculptor who also produced works as a printmaker and writer.

Raul Julia

1940–1994

Puerto Rican actor

Raul Julia was a Puerto Rican actor who performed in numerous film, television, and stage productions.

Ash Carter

1954–2022

25th United States Secretary of Defense

Ash Carter was a United States Secretary of Defense who served as the twenty-fifth person to hold that office.

Henri Pirenne

1862–1935

Belgian historian

Henri Pirenne was a Belgian historian who specialized in the study of the Middle Ages.

Nicolás Joseph Jacquin

1727–1817

chemist, physician and botanist from the Netherlands

Nicolás Joseph Jacquin was a botanist who conducted extensive scientific research and exploration throughout the Netherlands.

Jorge Batlle Ibáñez

1927–2016

president of Uruguay

Jorge Batlle Ibáñez was a politician who served as the president of Uruguay.

Pierre Puvis de Chavannes

1824–1898

French artist best known for his mural painting

Pierre Puvis de Chavannes was a French painter best known for his mural painting.

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.