30 October

Across recorded history, 1,528 notable lives are recorded as having ended on 30 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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Henry Dunant

1828–1910

Swiss businessman and co-founder of the Red Cross

Henry Dunant was a Swiss businessman who co-founded the Red Cross.

Claude Lévi-Strauss

1908–2009

French anthropologist and ethnologist

Claude Lévi-Strauss was a French anthropologist who developed the theory of structuralism.

Gustav Ludwig Hertz

1887–1975

German physicist

Gustav Ludwig Hertz was a physicist who conducted experiments on the inelastic collision of electrons with atoms.

Harry Mulisch

1927–2010

Dutch writer

Harry Mulisch was a Dutch writer known for his literary contributions to twentieth-century literature.

Bonar Law

1858–1923

Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1922 to 1923

Bonar Law was a politician who served as the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom.

Joseph Campbell

1904–1987

American mythologist, writer and lecturer

Joseph Campbell was an American mythologist who wrote extensively on the role of mythology in human experience.

Luigi Einaudi

1874–1961

(1874-1961) President of Italy from 1948 to 1955

Luigi Einaudi was an economist who served as the President of Italy.

Robert Fisk

1946–2020

English writer and journalist

Robert Fisk was a journalist who reported extensively on conflicts in the Middle East.

Pío Baroja

1872–1956

Spanish writer

Pío Baroja was a Spanish novelist known for his extensive literary contributions to twentieth-century literature.

Dayananda Saraswati

1824–1883

Indian social reformer

Dayananda Saraswati was an Indian social reformer who founded the Arya Samaj.

James S. Sherman

1855–1912

vice president of the United States from 1909 to 1912

James S. Sherman was a politician who served as the vice president of the United States.

Clifford Geertz

1926–2006

American anthropologist

Clifford Geertz was an American anthropologist known for his contributions to the field of symbolic anthropology.

William Cavendish-Bentinck, 3rd Duke of Portland

1738–1809

British politician and prime minister

William Cavendish-Bentinck, 3rd Duke of Portland, was a British politician who served as Prime Minister.

Max Reinhardt

1873–1943

theatre director and actor

Max Reinhardt was a theatre director and actor known for his innovative stage productions.

John Abbott

1821–1893

3rd Prime Minister of Canada

John Abbott was a politician who served as the third Prime Minister of Canada.

Emmerich Kálmán

1882–1953

Hungarian-born composer of operettas

Emmerich Kálmán was a Hungarian-born composer who wrote numerous operettas.

Géza Gárdonyi

1863–1922

Hungarian writer

Géza Gárdonyi was a Hungarian writer known for his historical novels.

Mesut Yılmaz

1947–2020

Prime Minister of Turkey

Mesut Yılmaz was a Turkish politician who served as the Prime Minister of Turkey.

Frederick I of Württemberg

1754–1816

last Duke of Würtemberg (1754-1816); then briefly Elector of Württemberg, and later King of Württemberg

Frederick I of Württemberg was a monarch who served as the final Duke, the Elector, and the first King of Württemberg.

Nobby Stiles

1942–2020

English footballer

Nobby Stiles was an English footballer who played for the national team.

Robert Lansing

1864–1928

American politician

Robert Lansing was an American diplomat who served as the United States Secretary of State.

Samuel Fuller

1912–1997

American screenwriter, actor and film director

Samuel Fuller was an American film director known for his work as a screenwriter and actor.

Nise da Silveira

1905–1999

Brazilian psychiatrist

Nise da Silveira was a Brazilian psychiatrist who pioneered the use of art therapy in the treatment of mental health patients.

Charles Maturin

1782–1824

Irish writer

Charles Maturin was an Irish writer known for his work as a novelist and playwright.

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.