5 October

Across recorded history, 1,442 notable lives are recorded as having ended on 5 October. Below are the 24 most widely documented — ranked by how many language editions of Wikipedia carry an article about them.

← October 4 October 6 →

Steve Jobs

1955–2011

American entrepreneur; co-founder of Apple Inc.

Steve Jobs was an American entrepreneur who co-founded Apple Inc.

Maurice Wilkins

1916–2004

New Zealand-born English physicist and biologist

Maurice Wilkins was a physicist and biologist who conducted research on the molecular structure of nucleic acids.

Lars Onsager

1903–1976

American physical chemist and theoretical physicist

Lars Onsager was a theoretical physicist who made significant contributions to the study of statistical mechanics and thermodynamics.

Henning Mankell

1948–2015

Swedish writer, human rights activist and dramatist

Henning Mankell was a Swedish writer known for his crime fiction novels and his work as a human rights activist.

Santa Faustina Kowalska

1905–1938

nun and saint from Poland

Santa Faustina Kowalska was a Polish nun and mystic who recorded her religious experiences in her writings.

William Lassell

1799–1880

English merchant and astronomer

Astronomer William Lassell was an English merchant who contributed to the field of astronomy through his observations and telescope construction.

Gloria Grahame

1923–1981

American actress

Gloria Grahame was an American actress who performed in film, television, and stage productions.

Tecumseh

1768–1813

Native American Shawnee leader

Tecumseh was a Shawnee leader who worked to unite various Native American tribes against the expansion of the United States.

Roland Garros

1888–1918

Reunionese aviator

Roland Garros was an aviator who pioneered non-stop flight across the Mediterranean Sea.

Charles Cornwallis, 1st Marquess Cornwallis

1738–1805

British general, colonial official, diplomat

Charles Cornwallis, 1st Marquess Cornwallis was a British general who served as a colonial official and diplomat.

Rodney Dangerfield

1921–2004

American stand-up comedian

Rodney Dangerfield was an American comedian known for his stand-up performances.

Nikolai Yudenich

1862–1933

Russian general

Nikolai Yudenich was a Russian general who served as a military officer.

Alfred L. Kroeber

1876–1960

American anthropologist

Alfred L. Kroeber was an American anthropologist who conducted extensive research on the cultures and languages of Indigenous peoples in North America.

Seymour Cray

1925–1996

Applied mathematician, computer scientist, and electrical engineer

Computer scientist Seymour Cray designed a series of high-performance supercomputers that established him as a pioneer in the field of high-speed computing.

Chantal Akerman

1950–2015

Belgian film director, screenwriter, and educator

Chantal Akerman was a Belgian filmmaker known for her influential work in experimental cinema and video installation art.

Neil Postman

1931–2003

American writer and academic

Neil Postman was a communication scholar who analyzed the impact of technology and media on contemporary culture.

Hortense de Beauharnais

1783–1837

queen consort of the Netherlands

Hortense de Beauharnais was a queen consort of the Netherlands who also worked as a composer.

Alexander Afanasyev

1826–1871

Russian folklorist, collector of folk tales

Alexander Afanasyev was a folklorist who compiled and published a comprehensive collection of Russian folk tales.

Jean Vigo

1905–1934

French film director

Jean Vigo was a French film director known for his contributions to poetic realism in cinema.

Louis Brandeis

1856–1941

American Supreme Court Justice

Louis Brandeis was an American Supreme Court Justice who served on the nation's highest court.

Ivan Yefremov

1907–1972

Soviet paleontologist, science fiction author and social thinker

Ivan Yefremov was a paleontologist and science fiction author who contributed to the development of Soviet scientific literature.

Israel Gelfand

1913–2009

Soviet-American mathematician

Israel Gelfand was a mathematician who contributed to various fields including functional analysis and representation theory.

Andrea de Cesaris

1959–2014

Italian racing driver

Andrea de Cesaris was an Italian Formula One driver who competed in numerous Grand Prix races throughout his career.

Michal Kováč

1930–2016

Slovak economist, politician, president of the Slovakia

Michal Kováč was a politician who served as the first president of Slovakia.

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.