26 October

Across recorded history, 1,423 notable lives are recorded as having ended on 26 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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Park Chung-hee

1917–1979

3rd President of the Republic of Korea

Park Chung-hee served as the third President of the Republic of Korea.

Gerty Cori

1896–1956

Austro-Hungarian-American biochemist

Gerty Cori was a biochemist who conducted research on the metabolism of carbohydrates.

Nikos Kazantzakis

1883–1957

Greek writer, poet and philosopher

Nikos Kazantzakis was a Greek writer known for his novels, poetry, and philosophical works.

Carlo Collodi

1826–1890

Italian writer

Carlo Collodi was an Italian writer best known for authoring the children's novel The Adventures of Pinocchio.

Elizabeth Cady Stanton

1815–1902

American writer, suffragist and Women's Rights activist

Elizabeth Cady Stanton was a women's rights activist who advocated for suffrage and social reform.

Itō Hirobumi

1841–1909

1st, 5th, 7th and 10th Prime Minister of Japan

Itō Hirobumi was a Japanese politician who served multiple terms as the Prime Minister of Japan.

Igor Sikorsky

1889–1972

American aviation pioneer from Russian Empire

Igor Sikorsky was an aviation pioneer who developed the first mass-produced helicopter.

Hattie McDaniel

1893–1952

American actress

Hattie McDaniel was an American actress who became the first African American to win an Academy Award.

Arthur Kornberg

1918–2007

American biochemist

Arthur Kornberg was an American biochemist who conducted research on the biological synthesis of DNA.

Semyon Budyonny

1883–1973

Soviet marshal

Semyon Budyonny was a Soviet marshal who served as a military officer.

Alfred Tarski

1901–1983

Polish-American logician

Alfred Tarski was a logician who made significant contributions to the fields of model theory, semantics, and set theory.

Charles J. Pedersen

1904–1989

American organic chemist

Charles J. Pedersen was an American chemist known for his research in organic chemistry.

Margaret Brown

1867–1932

survivor of the sinking of the Titanic (1867–1932), women's rights activist, philanthropist

Margaret Brown was a philanthropist and suffragist who survived the sinking of the Titanic.

Aurel Stein

1862–1943

Hungarian-British archaeologist

Aurel Stein was an archaeologist known for his extensive explorations and research throughout Central Asia.

Marcelo Caetano

1906–1980

Portuguese politician

Marcelo Caetano was a Portuguese politician who served as the head of government.

Princess Beatrice of the United Kingdom

1857–1944

youngest child of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert

Princess Beatrice of the United Kingdom was the youngest child of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert.

Aby Warburg

1866–1929

German art historian and cultural theorist

Aby Warburg was a German art historian who developed theories regarding the cultural influence of classical antiquity on Western art.

Charles Proteus Steinmetz

1865–1923

Prussian-American mathematician, electrical engineer

Charles Proteus Steinmetz was an electrical engineer who made major contributions to the understanding of alternating current.

Arkady Gaidar

1904–1941

Soviet children's writer

Arkady Gaidar was a children's writer who authored numerous works for young readers.

Nicholas Aylward Vigors

1785–1840

Irish zoologist and politician

Nicholas Aylward Vigors was a zoologist and politician who served as a member of the British Parliament.

Therese of Saxe-Hildburghausen

1792–1854

Queen consort of Bavaria

Therese of Saxe-Hildburghausen served as the queen consort of Bavaria.

Paul Pelliot

1878–1945

French sinologist

Paul Pelliot was a French sinologist who conducted extensive archaeological and linguistic research in Central Asia.

Elem Klimov

1933–2003

Soviet film director

Elem Klimov was a Soviet film director known for his work in cinema.

Vincenzo Gioberti

1801–1852

Italian philosopher and politician

Vincenzo Gioberti was an Italian philosopher and politician who served as a prominent intellectual figure during the Risorgimento.

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.