Events

• 54 – Nero ascends to the Roman throne

• 409 – Vandals and Alans cross the Pyrenees and appear in Hispania.

• 1307 – Hundreds of Knights Templar in France are simultaneously arrested by agents of Phillip the Fair, to be later tortured into "admitting" heresy.

• 1332 - Rinchinbal Khan, Emperor Ningzong of Yuan became the Khagan of the Mongols and Emperor of the Yuan Dynasty, reigning for only 53 days.

• 1362 On 13 October 1362 the Chancellor of England for the first time opened Parliament with a speech in English.

• 1582 – Because of the implementation of the Gregorian calendar, this day does not exist in this year in Italy, Poland, Portugal and Spain.

• 1773 – The Whirlpool Galaxy is discovered by Charles Messier

• 1775 – The United States Continental Congress orders the establishment of the Continental Navy (later renamed the United States Navy).

• 1777 – After his defeat on October 7, 1777, British General John Burgoyne's Army at The Battles of Saratoga become surrounded by superior numbers, setting the stage for its surrenderwhich feat of arms inspires the Kingdom of France to enter the American Revolutionary War against the British.

• 1792 – In Washington, D.C., the cornerstone of the United States Executive Mansion (known as the White House since 1818) is laid.

• 1812 – War of 1812: Battle of Queenston Heights – As part of the Niagara campaign in Ontario, Canada, United States forces under General Stephen Van Rensselaer are repulsed from invading Canada by British and native troops led by Sir Isaac Brock.

• 1843 – In New York City, Henry Jones and 11 others found B'nai B'rith (the oldest Jewish service organization in the world).

• 1845 – A majority of voters in the Republic of Texas approve a proposed constitution, that if accepted by the U.S. Congress, will make Texas a U.S. state.

• 1881 – Revival of the Hebrew language as Eliezer Ben-Yehuda and friends agree to use Hebrew exclusively in their conversations.

• 1884 – Greenwich, in London, England, is established as Universal Time meridian of longitude.

• 1885 – The Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech) is founded in Atlanta, Georgia.

• 1892 – Edward Emerson Barnard discovers D/1892 T1, the first comet discovered by photographic means, on the night of October 13-14.

• 1915 – The Battle for the Hohenzollern Redoubt marks the end of the Battle of Loos in northern France, World War I.

• 1917 – The "Miracle of the Sun" is witnessed by an estimated 70,000 people in the Cova da Iria in Fátima, Portugal.

• 1918 – Mehmed Talat Pasha and the Young Turk (C.U.P.) ministry resign and sign an armistice, ending Ottoman participation in World War I.

• 1923 – Ankara replaces Istanbul as the capital of Turkey.

• 1943 – World War II: The new government of Italy sides with the Allies and declares war on Germany.

• 1944 – World War II: Riga, the capital of Latvia is seized by the Red Army.

• 1946 – France adopts the constitution of the Fourth Republic.

• 1962 – The Pacific Northwest experiences a cyclone the equal of a Cat 3 hurricane. Winds measured above 150mph at several locations; 46 people died.

• 1967 – The first game in the history of the American Basketball Association is played as the Anaheim Amigos lose to the Oakland Oaks 134-129 in Oakland, California.

• 1972 – An Aeroflot Ilyushin Il-62 crashed outside Moscow killing 176.

• 1972 – Uruguayan Air Force Flight 571 crashes in the Andes mountains, near the border between Argentina and Chile. By December 23, 1972, only 16 out of 45 people lived long enough to be rescued.

• 1976 – A Bolivian Boeing 707 cargo jet crashes in Santa Cruz, Bolivia, killing 100 (97, mostly children, killed on the ground).

• 1976 – The first electron micrograph of an Ebola viral particle was obtained by Dr. F.A. Murphy, now at U.C. Davis, who was then working at the C.D.C.

• 1977 – Four Palestinians hijack Lufthansa Flight 181 to Somalia and demand release of 11 members of the Red Army Faction.

• 1983 – Ameritech Mobile Communications (now AT&T) launched the first US cellular network in Chicago, Illinois.

• 1990 – End of the Lebanese war. Syrian forces launch an attack on the free areas of Lebanon removing General Michel Aoun from the presidential palace.

• 1992 – An Antonov An-124 operated by Antonov Airlines registered SSSR-82002, crashed near Kiev, Ukraine.

• 1999 – The United States Senate rejects ratification of the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty (CTBT).

Births

• 1162 – Leonora of England, Queen of Castile (d. 1214)

• 1244 – Jaques de Molay, Grand Master of the Knights Templar (d. 1314)

• 1453 – Edward of Westminster, Prince of Wales (d. 1471)

• 1474 – Mariotto Albertinelli, Italian painter (d. 1515)

• 1566 – Richard Boyle, 1st Earl of Cork, Irish politician (d. 1643)

• 1613 – Luisa of Medina-Sidonia, queen of Portugal (d. 1666)

• 1696 – John Hervey, 2nd Baron Hervey, English statesman and writer (d. 1743)

• 1713 – Allan Ramsay, Scottish painter (d. 1784)

• 1714 – Pieter Burmann the Younger, Dutch philologist (d. 1778)

• 1768 – Jacques Félix Emmanuel Hamelin, French explorer (d. 1839)

• 1820 – John William Dawson, Canadian geologist (d. 1899)

• 1821 – Rudolf Virchow, German physician, pathologist, biologist, and politician (d. 1902)

• 1844 – Ernest Myers, English poet, Classicist and author (d. 1921)

• 1853 – Lillie Langtry, British actress (d. 1929)

• 1862 – Mary Kingsley, English writer and explorer (d. 1900)

• 1874 – József Klekl, Slovene politician in Hungary (d. 1948)

• 1876 – Rube Waddell, American baseball player (d. 1914)

• 1878 – Patrick Joseph Hartigan, Australian Roman Catholic priest (d. 1952)

• 1880 – Sasha Cherny, Russian poet (d. 1932)

• 1887 – Jozef Tiso, Slovak politician (d. 1947)

• 1890 – Conrad Richter, American novelist and short story writer (d. 1968)

• 1895 – Mike Gazella, American baseball player (d. 1978)

• 1896 – E. Beatrice Riley, Australian supercentenarian (d. 2009)

• 1900 – Gerald Marks, American songwriter (d. 1997)

• 1902 – Arna Wendell Bontemps, American writer (d. 1973)

• 1904 – Wilfred Pickles, English actor and broadcaster (d. 1978)

• 1905 – Coloman Braun-Bogdan, Romanian football player and manager (d. 1983)

• 1907 – Yves Allégret, French film director (d. 1987)

• 1909 – Art Tatum, American jazz pianist (d. 1956)

• 1909 – Herbert Block, American cartoonist (d. 2001)

• 1911 – Ashok Kumar, Indian actor (d. 2001)

• 1913 – Igor Torkar, Slovenian writer (d. 2004)

• 1915 – Terry Frost, English artist (d. 2003)

• 1915 – Cornel Wilde, American actor (d. 1989)

• 1917 – George Osmond, patriarch (d. 2007)

• 1917 – Burr Tillstrom, American puppeteer (d. 1985)

• 1918 – Robert Hudson Walker, American actor (d. 1951)

• 1920 – Laraine Day, American actress (d. 2007)

• 1921 – Yves Montand, Italian singer and actor (d. 1991)

• 1923 – Cyril Shaps, English actor (d. 2003)

• 1923 – Faas Wilkes, Dutch footballer (d. 2006)

• 1924 – Moturu Udayam, Indian woman's activist (d. 2002)

• 1925 – Lenny Bruce, American comedian (d. 1966)

• 1925 – Margaret Thatcher, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom

• 1925 – Gustav Winckler, Danish singer (d. 1979)

• 1926 – Ray Brown, American jazz bassist (d. 2002)

• 1926 – Walter "Killer" Kowalski (wrestler) Canadian professional wrestler (d. 2008)

• 1927 – Lee Konitz, American jazz saxophonist

• 1931 – Eddie Mathews, American baseball player (d. 2001)

• 1931 – Raymond Kopa, French footballer

• 1932 – Jack Colvin, American actor (d. 2005)

• 1933 – Raynald Frechette, Canadian politician and judge (d. 2007)

• 1933 – Queen Narriman, Egyptian royalty (d. 2005)

• 1933 – Baron Bingham of Cornhill, Lord Chief Justice of England and Wales

• 1934 – Nana Mouskouri, Greek singer and politician

• 1937 – Sami Frey, French actor

• 1938 – Hugo Young, English journalist (d. 2003)

• 1939 – T. J. Cloutier, American poker player

• 1939 – Melinda Dillon, American actress

• 1940 – Pharoah Sanders, American saxophonist

• 1941 – Paul Simon, American singer and musician (Simon & Garfunkel)

• 1942 – Jerry Jones, American football team owner

• 1942 – Pamela Tiffin, American film actress

• 1942 – Bob Bailey, American baseball player

• 1943 – Mike Barnicle, American newspaper columnist

• 1944 – Robert Lamm, American musician (Chicago)

• 1945 – Christophe, French singer

• 1945 – Dési Bouterse, Surinamese politician

• 1946 – Edwina Currie, British politician

• 1947 – Sammy Hagar, American singer (Van Halen)

• 1947 – Jerry Trupiano, American sports broadcaster

• 1947 – Alan Wakeman, English saxophonist (Soft Machine)

• 1948 – John Ford Coley, American musician

• 1948 – Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, Pakistani musician and singer (d. 1997)

• 1948 – Ted Poe, American politician

• 1949 – Tom Mees, American sports broadcaster (d. 1996)

• 1949 – Patrick Nève, Belgian racing driver

• 1949 – Marisol Malaret, beauty pageant contestant

• 1952 – Beverly Johnson, American supermodel

• 1952 – John Lone, Hong Kong actor

• 1953 – Pat Day, American jockey

• 1954 – George Frazier, American baseball player

• 1954 – Claude Ribbe, French historian

• 1954 – Mordechai Vanunu, Israeli nuclear technician

• 1956 – Frank Dunn, American artist

• 1956 – Chris Carter, American television producer

• 1956 – Joseph Anthony Toal, Roman Catholic Bishop of Argyll and the Isles, Scotland

• 1957 – Reggie Theus, American basketball player and head coach

• 1958 – Maria Cantwell, American politician, junior senator from Washington

• 1958 – Jair-Rohm Parker Wells, American musician and composer

• 1959 – Marie Osmond, American entertainer

• 1960 – Joey Belladonna, American musician (Anthrax)

• 1960 – Tim Brewster, American football coach

• 1960 – Ari Fleischer, White House press secretary

• 1960 – Peter Keisler, acting United States attorney general

• 1961 – Derek Harper, American basketball player

• 1961 – Doc Rivers, American basketball player and coach

• 1962 – T'Keyah Crystal Keymáh, American actress

• 1962 – Kelly Preston, American actress

• 1962 – Jerry Rice, American football player

• 1963 – Colin Channer, Jamaican writer

• 1963 – Chip Foose, automotive designer and fabricator

• 1964 – Allen Covert, American actor

• 1964 – Niè Hǎishèng, Chinese astronaut

• 1964 – Christopher Judge, American actor

• 1964 – Marco Travaglio, Italian journalist

• 1965 – Johan Museeuw, Belgian cyclist

• 1967 – Scott Cooper, American baseball player

• 1967 – Trevor Hoffman, American baseball player

• 1967 – Steve Vickers, English footballer

• 1967 – Kate Walsh, American actress

• 1968 – Tisha Campbell-Martin, American actress and singer

• 1968 – Carlos Marin, Spanish baritone (Il Divo)

• 1969 – Rhett Akins, American country singer

• 1969 – Nancy Kerrigan, American figure skater

• 1969 – Cady McClain, American actress

• 1970 – Serena Altschul, American reporter

• 1970 – Mel Jackson, American actor and R&B musician

• 1970 – Rob Howley, Welsh rugby player

• 1970 – Paul Potts, British opera singer

• 1971 – Hitesh Modi,Kenyan cricketer

• 1971 – Sacha Baron Cohen, English comedian

• 1971 – Billy Bush, American TV host

• 1971 – Pyrros Dimas, Greek weightlifter

• 1971 – Luis Tosar, Spanish actor

• 1972 – Summer Sanders, American swimmer and sports broadcaster

• 1973 – Brian Dawkins, American football player

• 1973 – Peter Dumbreck, Scottish racing driver

• 1973 – Matt Hughes, American mixed martial artist

• 1973 – Nanako Matsushima, Japanese actress

• 1974 – Hawick Lau, Chinese actor and singer

• 1977 – Gareth Batty, English cricketer

• 1977 – Paul Pierce, American basketball player

• 1977 – Kiele Sanchez, American actress

• 1979 – Wes Brown, English footballer

• 1980 – Ashanti, American singer

• 1980 – David Haye, English boxer

• 1980 – Magne Hoseth, Norwegian footballer

• 1980 – Scott Parker, English footballer

• 1981 – Ryan Ashford, English footballer

• 1981 – Kele Okereke, English singer (Bloc Party)

• 1982 – Ian Thorpe, Australian swimmer

• 1984 – Misono, Japanese singer (Day After Tomorrow)

• 1984 – Frank Simek, American footballer

• 1986 – Gabriel Agbonlahor , English footballer

• 1987 – Ashley Newbrough, American actress

• 1988 – Scott Jamieson, Australian footballer

• 1992 – Aaron Dismuke, American voice actor

Deaths

• 54 – Claudius, Roman Emperor (b. 10 BC)

• 1093 – Robert I, Count of Flanders

• 1282 – Nichiren Japanese founder of Nichiren Buddhism (b. 1222)

• 1415 – Thomas FitzAlan, 12th Earl of Arundel, English military leader (b. 1381)

• 1508 – Edmund de Ros, 11th Baron de Ros, English politician (b. 1446)

• 1605 – Theodore Beza, French theologian (b. 1519)

• 1673 – Kristoffer Gabel, Danish statesman (b. 1617)

• 1687 – Geminiano Montanari, Italian astronomer (b. 1633)

• 1694 – Samuel von Pufendorf, German jurist (b. 1632)

• 1706 – Iyasus the Great, Emperor of Ethiopia (b. 1682)

• 1715 – Nicolas Malebranche, French philosopher (b. 1638)

• 1759 – John Henley, English minister (b. 1692)

• 1788 – Robert Nugent, 1st Earl Nugent, Irish politician and poet (b. 1702)

• 1812 – Sir Isaac Brock, British general (killed in battle) (b. 1769)

• 1815 – Joachim Murat, French marshal and King of Naples (executed) (b. 1767)

• 1825 – Maximilian I of Bavaria (b. 1756)

• 1869 – Charles Augustin Sainte-Beuve, French literary critic (b. 1804)

• 1882 – Arthur de Gobineau, French philosopher (b. 1816)

• 1890 – Samuel Freeman Miller, U.S. Supreme Court Justice (b. 1816)

• 1904 – Pavlos Melas, Greek officer who organized and participated in the Greek Struggle for Macedonia (b. 1870)

• 1905 – Sir Henry Irving, the first British actor to be knighted (b. 1838)

• 1909 – Francisco Ferrer Guardia, Spanish free-thinker (b. 1849)

• 1917 – Florence La Badie, American actress

• 1919 – Karl Adolph Gjellerup, Danish writer, Nobel laureate (b. 1857)

• 1926 – Hans E. Kinck, Norwegian author and philologist (b. 1865)

• 1931 – Ernst Didring, Swedish author (b. 1868)

• 1938 – E.C. Segar, American cartoonist (Popeye) (b. 1894)

• 1945 – Milton S. Hershey, American chocolate tycoon (b. 1857)

• 1950 – Ernest Haycox, American writer (b. 1899)

• 1955 – Manuel Ávila Camacho, President of Mexico (b. 1897)

• 1966 – Clifton Webb, American actor (b. 1889)

• 1968 – Bea Benaderet, American actress (b. 1906)

• 1971 – Stafford Smythe, Canadian NHL executive (b. 1921)

• 1974 – Ed Sullivan, American television personality (b. 1901)

• 1979 – Rebecca Helferich Clarke, English composer and violist (b. 1886)

• 1987 – Walter Brattain, American physicist, Nobel laureate (b. 1902)

• 1987 – Kishore Kumar, Indian Singer (b. 1929)

• 1988 – Mike Venezia, jockey (b. 1945)

• 1990 – Lê Ðức Thọ, Vietnamese general and politician, recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize (b. 1911)

• 1992 – Dantrell Davis, victim of gang crossfire in Cabrini-Green (b. 1985)

• 1993 – Wade Flemons, American soul singer (b. 1940)

• 1995 – Ali Faik Zaghloul, Egyptian radio presenter (b. 1924)

• 2000 – Jean Peters, American actress (b. 1926)

• 2001 – Peter Doyle, Australian folk singer (The New Seekers) (b. 1949)

• 2002 – Stephen Ambrose, American historian and biographer (b. 1936)

• 2003 – Bertram Brockhouse, Canadian physicist, Nobel laureate (b. 1918)

• 2004 – Enrique Fernando, Chief Justice of the Philippine Supreme Court (b. 1915)

• 2005 – Vivian Malone Jones, American civil rights activist (b. 1942)

• 2006 – Wang Guangmei, Chinese first lady (b. 1921)

• 2007 – Bob Denard, French mercenary (b. 1929)

• 2008 – Alexei Cherepanov, Russian ice hockey player (b. 1989)

• 2009 – Stephen Barnett,American legal scholar who opposed the Newspaper Preservation Act of 1970 (b. 1935)

Holidays and observances

• Roman festivals – Fontanalia: festival dedicated to Fontus

• Roman Catholic Saints – translation (1163) of Saint Edward the Confessor; memorial of Saint Gerald of Aurillac optional feast of Our Lady of Fatima

• French Republican Calendar – Pêche (Peach) Day, twenty-second day in the Month of Vendémiaire