4 October

Across recorded history, 1,502 notable lives are recorded as having ended on 4 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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Max Planck

1858–1947

German theoretical physicist

Max Planck was a theoretical physicist who originated quantum theory.

Jacques Offenbach

1819–1880

German-born French composer

Jacques Offenbach was a composer who created numerous works for the French stage.

Janis Joplin

1943–1970

American singer

Janis Joplin was an American singer known for her powerful vocal performances.

Võ Nguyên Giáp

1911–2013

Vietnamese general and communist politician

Võ Nguyên Giáp was a Vietnamese general and politician who led military campaigns during the conflicts in Vietnam.

Vladimir Dal

1801–1872

Russian lexicographer

Vladimir Dal was a Russian lexicographer who compiled a comprehensive dictionary of the living Great Russian language.

Glenn Gould

1932–1982

Canadian composer and pianist

Glenn Gould was a Canadian pianist and composer known for his interpretations of the keyboard works of Johann Sebastian Bach.

Frédéric Auguste Bartholdi

1834–1904

French sculptor and painter

Frédéric Auguste Bartholdi was a French sculptor known for designing the Statue of Liberty.

Jean-Claude Duvalier

1951–2014

President of the Republic of Haiti

Jean-Claude Duvalier was a politician who served as the President of the Republic of Haiti.

Mercedes Sosa

1935–2009

Argentine singer

Mercedes Sosa was an Argentine singer known for her contributions to the nueva canción musical movement.

Graham Chapman

1941–1989

English actor, comedian and writer

Graham Chapman was an English actor and comedian best known as a member of the surreal comedy troupe Monty Python.

Anne Sexton

1928–1974

American poet

Anne Sexton was an American poet known for her confessional verse.

Loretta Lynn

1932–2022

American country singer

Loretta Lynn was an American country singer who wrote and performed numerous songs throughout her career.

Denny Hulme

1936–1992

New Zealand racing driver

Denny Hulme was a New Zealand racing driver who competed in Formula One.

Maria Zankovetska

1854–1934

Ukrainian actress

Maria Zankovetska was a Ukrainian actor known for her work in theater and film.

Gordon Cooper

1927–2004

American astronaut

Gordon Cooper was an American astronaut who participated in the Mercury and Gemini space programs.

Diahann Carroll

1935–2019

American actress, singer, model and activist

Diahann Carroll was an American actress and singer who performed across film, television, and musical theatre.

Henrietta Lacks

1920–1951

American woman whose cancer cells are the source of the HeLa cell line

Henrietta Lacks was an American woman whose cancer cells became the source of the HeLa cell line.

Ivan Klíma

1931–2025

Czech playwright, author, publicist, and university educator

Ivan Klíma is a Czech writer known for his work as a playwright, novelist, and educator.

Al Smith

1873–1944

American statesman and governor

Al Smith was an American politician who served as the governor of New York.

Kenzō Takada

1939–2020

Japanese fashion designer

Kenzō Takada was a Japanese fashion designer who founded the global fashion brand Kenzo.

Léon Brillouin

1889–1969

French physicist

Léon Brillouin was a French physicist who made significant contributions to the development of solid-state physics and information theory.

Imre Madách

1820–1864

Hungarian writer

Imre Madách was a Hungarian writer best known for authoring the dramatic poem The Tragedy of Man.

Alexandros Papagos

1883–1955

Greek military leader and politician

Alexandros Papagos was a Greek military leader and politician who served as the head of government.

Liam Cosgrave

1920–2017

Irish politician

Liam Cosgrave was an Irish politician who served as the Taoiseach of Ireland.

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.