October 5

Pre-1600

• 610 – Heraclius arrives at Constantinople, kills Byzantine Emperor Phocas, and becomes emperor.
• 816 – King Louis the Pious is crowned emperor of the Holy Roman Empire by the Pope.
• 869 – The Fourth Council of Constantinople is convened to depose patriarch Photios I.
• 1143 – With the signing of the Treaty of Zamora, King Alfonso VII of León and Castile recognises Portugal as a Kingdom.
• 1450 – Louis IX, Duke of Bavaria expels Jews from his jurisdiction.

1601–1900

• 1607 – Assassins attempt to kill Venetian statesman and scientist Paolo Sarpi.
• 1789 – French Revolution: The Women's March on Versailles effectively terminates royal authority.
• 1813 – War of 1812: The Army of the Northwest defeats a British and Native Canadian force threatening Detroit.
• 1838 – The Killough massacre in east Texas sees eighteen Texian settlers either killed or kidnapped.
• 1869 – The Saxby Gale devastates the Bay of Fundy region in Canada.
• 1869 – The Eastman tunnel, in Minnesota, United States, collapses during construction, causing a landslide that nearly destroys St. Anthony Falls.
• 1877 – The Nez Perce War in the northwestern United States comes to an end.
• 1900 – Peace congress in Paris condemns British policy in South Africa and asserts Boer Republic's right to self-determination.

1901–present

• 1905 – The Wright brothers pilot the Wright Flyer III in a new world record flight of 24 miles in 39 minutes.
• 1910 – In a revolution in Portugal the monarchy is overthrown and a republic is declared.
• 1911 – The Kowloon–Canton Railway commences service.
• 1914 – World War I: An aircraft successfully destroys another aircraft with gunfire for the first time.
• 1921 – The World Series is the first to be broadcast on radio.
• 1930 – British airship R101 crashes in France en route to India on its maiden voyage killing 48 people.
• 1931 – Clyde Edward Pangborn and Hugh Herndon,Jr. make the first nonstop flight across the Pacific Ocean in the plane Miss Veedol.
• 1936 – The Jarrow March sets off for London.
• 1938 – Holocaust: In Nazi Germany, Jews' passports are invalidated.
• 1943 – World War II: Battle of the Pacific: Ninety-eight American POWs are executed by Japanese forces on Wake Island.
• 1944 – The Provisional Government of the French Republic enfranchises women.
• 1945 – A six-month strike by Hollywood set decorators turns into a bloody riot at the gates of the Warner Brothers studio.
• 1947 – President Truman makes the first televised Oval Office address.
• 1962 – The first of the James Bond film series, based on the novels by Ian Fleming, Dr. No, is released in Britain.
• 1962 – The first Beatles single "Love Me Do" is released in Britain.
• 1963 – The United States suspends the Commercial Import Program in response to repression of the Buddhist majority by the regime of President Ngo Dinh Diem.
• 1966 – A reactor at the Enrico Fermi Nuclear Generating Station near Detroit suffers a partial meltdown.
• 1968 – A Northern Ireland Civil Rights Association march in Derry is violently suppressed by police.
• 1970 – The Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) is founded.
• 1970 – The British Trade Commissioner, James Cross, is kidnapped by members of the Front de libération du Québec, triggering the October Crisis in Canada.
• 1974 – Bombs planted by the PIRA in pubs in Guildford kill four British soldiers and one civilian.
• 1982 – Tylenol products are recalled after bottles in Chicago laced with cyanide cause seven deaths.
• 1984 – Marc Garneau becomes the first Canadian in space.
• 1986 – Mordechai Vanunu's story in The Sunday Times reveals Israel's secret nuclear weapons.
• 1988 – A Chilean opposition coalition defeats Augusto Pinochet in his re-election attempt.
• 1990 – After 150 years The Herald newspaper in Melbourne, Australia, is published for the last time as a separate newspaper.
• 1991 – An Indonesian Air Force C-130 crash kills 135 people.
• 1999 – The Ladbroke Grove rail crash in West London kills 31 people.
• 2000 – Mass demonstrations in Serbia force the resignation of Slobodan Milošević.
• 2011 – In the Mekong River massacre, two Chinese cargo boats are hijacked and 13 crew members murdered.

Pre-1600

• 1274 – Al-Dhahabi, Syrian scholar and historian (d. 1348)
• 1338 – Alexios III of Trebizond (d. 1390)
• 1377 – Louis II of Anjou (d. 1417)
• 1422 – Catherine, Princess of Asturias, Spanish royal (d. 1424)
• 1487 – Ludwig of Hanau-Lichtenberg, German nobleman (d. 1553)
• 1520 – Alessandro Farnese, Italian cardinal and diplomat (d. 1589)
• 1524 – Rani Durgavati, Queen of Gond (d. 1564)

1601–1900

• 1609 – Paul Fleming, German physician and poet (d. 1640)
• 1641 – Françoise-Athénaïs, marquise de Montespan, French mistress of Louis XIV of France (d. 1707)
• 1658 – Mary of Modena (d. 1718)
• 1687 – Maria Maddalena Martinengo, Italian nun (d. 1737)
• 1703 – Jonathan Edwards, American pastor and theologian (d. 1758)
• 1712 – Francesco Guardi, Italian painter (d. 1793)
• 1713 – Denis Diderot, French philosopher and critic (d. 1784)
• 1715 – Victor de Riqueti, marquis de Mirabeau, French economist and educator (d. 1789)
• 1728 – Chevalier d'Éon, French diplomat and spy (d. 1810)
• 1743 – Giuseppe Gazzaniga, Italian composer and educator (d. 1818)
• 1781 – Bernard Bolzano, Czech mathematician and philosopher (d. 1848)
• 1792 – Joseph Crosfield, English businessman (d. 1844)
• 1795 – Alexander Keith, Scottish-Canadian brewer and politician, 13th Mayor of Halifax (d. 1873)
• 1803 – Friedrich Bernhard Westphal, Danish-German painter (d. 1844)
• 1816 – Ursula Frayne, Irish-Australian nun and missionary (d. 1885)
• 1820 – David Wilber, American lawyer and politician (d. 1890)
• 1824 – Henry Chadwick, English-American historian and author (d. 1908)
• 1829 – Chester A. Arthur, American general, lawyer, and politician, 21st President of the United States (d. 1886)
• 1841 – Philipp Mainländer, German philosopher (d. 1876)
• 1844 – Francis William Reitz, South African lawyer and politician, 5th State President of the Orange Free State (d. 1934)
• 1848 – Guido von List, Austrian-German journalist and poet (d. 1919)
• 1850 – Sergey Muromtsev, Russian lawyer and politician (d. 1910)
• 1857 – Peadar Toner Mac Fhionnlaoich, Irish author and playwright (d. 1942)
• 1858 – Helen Churchill Candee, American journalist and author (d. 1949)
• 1864 – Louis Lumière, French director and producer (d. 1948)
• 1873 – Lucien Mérignac, French fencer (d. 1941)
• 1877 – Mike O'Neill, Irish-American baseball player and manager (d. 1959)
• 1878 – Louise Dresser, American actress (d. 1965)
• 1879 – Francis Peyton Rous, American pathologist and virologist, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1970)
• 1882 – Robert H. Goddard, American physicist, engineer, and academic (d. 1945)
• 1883 – Ernst Pittschau, German actor (d. 1951)
• 1885 – Arunachalam Mahadeva, Sri Lankan politician and diplomat (d. 1969)
• 1887 – René Cassin, French judge and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1976)
• 1887 – Manny Ziener, German actress (d. 1972)
• 1888 – Mary Fuller, American actress and screenwriter (d. 1973)
• 1889 – Teresa de la Parra, French-Venezuelan author and educator (d. 1936)
• 1892 – Remington Kellogg, American zoologist and paleontologist (d. 1969)
• 1894 – Bevil Rudd, South African runner and journalist (d. 1948)
• 1898 – Nachum Gutman, Moldovan-Israeli painter and sculptor (d. 1980)
• 1899 – Elda Anderson, American physicist and health researcher (d. 1961)
• 1900 – Bing Xin, Chinese author and poet, known for her contributions to children's literature (d. 1998)
• 1900 – Margherita Bontade, Italian politician (d. 1992)

1901–present

• 1901 – John Alton, Austrian-American director and cinematographer (d. 1996)
• 1902 – Larry Fine, American comedian (d. 1975)
• 1902 – Ray Kroc, American businessman and philanthropist (d. 1984)
• 1903 – M. King Hubbert, American geophysicist and academic (d. 1989)
• 1905 – John Hoyt, American actor (d. 1991)
• 1905 – Harriet E. MacGibbon, American actress (d. 1987)
• 1907 – Mrs. Miller, American novelty singer (d. 1997)
• 1907 – Ragnar Nurkse, Estonian-American economist and academic (d. 1959)
• 1908 – Mehmet Ali Aybar, Turkish lawyer and politician (d. 1995)
• 1908 – Joshua Logan, American director and screenwriter (d. 1988)
• 1911 – Pierre Dansereau, Canadian ecologist and academic (d. 2011)
• 1911 – Brian O'Nolan, Irish author and playwright (d. 1966)
• 1912 – Fritz Fischer, German physician and convicted war criminal (d. 2003)
• 1913 – Eugene B. Fluckey, American admiral, Medal of Honor recipient (d. 2007)
• 1914 – Zhang Zhen, Chinese general and politician (d. 2015)
• 1916 – Stetson Kennedy, American author and activist (d. 2011)
• 1917 – Allen Ludden, American television personality and game show host (d. 1981)
• 1917 – Magda Szabó, Hungarian author and poet (d. 2007)
• 1919 – Donald Pleasence, English actor (d. 1995)
• 1921 – Bill Willis, American football player and coach (d. 2007)
• 1922 – José Froilán González, Argentinian racing driver (d. 2013)
• 1922 – Bil Keane, American cartoonist (d. 2011)
• 1922 – Jock Stein, Scottish footballer and manager (d. 1985)
• 1923 – Philip Berrigan, American priest and activist (d. 2002)
• 1923 – Stig Dagerman, Swedish journalist and author (d. 1954)
• 1923 – Albert Guðmundsson, Icelandic footballer and politician (d. 1994)
• 1923 – Glynis Johns, British actress and singer (d. 2024)
• 1923 – Kailashpati Mishra, Indian lawyer and politician, 18th Governor of Gujarat (d. 2012)
• 1924 – Bill Dana, American actor, producer, and screenwriter (d. 2017)
• 1924 – José Donoso, Chilean author (d. 1996)
• 1924 – Barbara Kelly, Canadian actress and screenwriter (d. 2007)
• 1924 – Frederic Morton, Austrian-American banker, journalist, and author (d. 2015)
• 1924 – Bob Thaves, American cartoonist (d. 2006)
• 1925 – Gail Davis, American actress (d. 1997)
• 1925 – Herbert Kretzmer, South African-English journalist and songwriter (d. 2020)
• 1925 – Walter Dale Miller, American lawyer and politician, 29th Governor of South Dakota (d. 2015)
• 1926 – Avraham Adan, Israeli general (d. 2012)
• 1926 – Willi Unsoeld, American mountaineer and educator (d. 1979)
• 1928 – Louise Fitzhugh, American author and illustrator (d. 1974)
• 1929 – Richard F. Gordon Jr., American captain, pilot, and astronaut (d. 2017)
• 1929 – Bill Wirtz, American businessman (d. 2007)
• 1930 – Pavel Popovich, Ukrainian general, pilot, and cosmonaut (d. 2009)
• 1930 – Reinhard Selten, German economist and mathematician, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 2016)
• 1931 – Rosalie Gower, Canadian nurse and politician (d. 2013)
• 1932 – Neal Ascherson, Scottish journalist and author
• 1932 – Dean Prentice, Canadian ice hockey player (d. 2019)
• 1932 – Michael John Rogers, English ornithologist and police officer (d. 2006)
• 1933 – Doug Bailey, American political consultant, founded The Hotline (d. 2013)
• 1933 – Billy Lee Riley, American rockabilly musician, singer-songwriter, and record producer (d. 2009)
• 1934 – Kenneth D. Taylor, Canadian businessman and diplomat (d. 2015)
• 1934 – Angelo Buono, American serial killer and rapist (d. 2002)
• 1936 – Václav Havel, Czech poet, playwright, and politician, 1st President of the Czech Republic (d. 2011)
• 1936 – Adrian Smith, American basketball player
• 1937 – Carlo Mastrangelo, American doo-wop singer (d. 2016)
• 1937 – Barry Switzer, American football player and coach
• 1938 – Johnny Duncan, American country singer (d. 2006)
• 1938 – Teresa Heinz, Mozambican-American businesswoman and philanthropist
• 1939 – Marie-Claire Blais, Canadian author and playwright
• 1939 – A. R. Penck, German painter and sculptor (d. 2017)
• 1939 – Consuelo Ynares-Santiago, Filipino lawyer and jurist
• 1940 – Terry Trotter, American jazz pianist
• 1941 – Stephanie Cole, English actress
• 1941 – Eduardo Duhalde, Argentinian lawyer and politician, 50th President of Argentina
• 1941 – Frank Stagg, Irish republican died on hunger strike (d. 1976)
• 1942 – Richard Street, American singer-songwriter (d. 2013)
• 1943 – Ben Cardin, American lawyer and politician
• 1943 – Steve Miller, American singer-songwriter and guitarist
• 1943 – Michael Morpurgo, English author, poet, and playwright
• 1943 – Etela Farkašová, Slovak philosopher and writer
• 1944 – Richard Rosser, Baron Rosser, English union leader and politician
• 1946 – Zahida Hina, Pakistani journalist and author
• 1946 – Robin Lane Fox, English historian and author
• 1946 – Jean Perron, Canadian ice hockey player, coach, and sportscaster
• 1946 – David Watson, English footballer
• 1947 – Brian Johnson, English singer and songwriter
• 1947 – Michèle Pierre-Louis, Haitian politician, 14th Prime Minister of Haiti
• 1948 – Russell Mael, American vocalist
• 1949 – Peter Ackroyd, English biographer, novelist and critic
• 1949 – Michael Gaughan, Irish Republican died on hunger strike (d. 1974)
• 1949 – Ralph Goodale, Canadian lawyer and politician, 36th Canadian Minister of Finance
• 1949 – Bill James, American historian and author
• 1949 – Yashiki Takajin, Japanese singer and television host (d. 2014)
• 1950 – Eddie Clarke, English rock guitarist (d. 2018)
• 1950 – Jeff Conaway, American actor and singer (d. 2011)
• 1950 – Edward P. Jones, American novelist and short story writer
• 1950 – James Rizzi, American painter and illustrator (d. 2011)
• 1951 – Karen Allen, American actress
• 1951 – Bob Geldof, Irish singer-songwriter and actor
• 1952 – Clive Barker, English author, director, producer, and screenwriter
• 1952 – Harold Faltermeyer, German keyboard player, composer, and producer
• 1952 – Imran Khan, Pakistani cricketer and politician, 22nd Prime Minister of Pakistan
• 1953 – Philip Hampton, English-Scottish accountant and businessman
• 1953 – Roy Laidlaw, Scottish rugby player
• 1955 – John Alexander, English footballer
• 1955 – Jean-Jacques Lafon, French singer-songwriter
• 1955 – Adair Turner, Baron Turner of Ecchinswell, English academic and businessman
• 1957 – Mark Geragos, American lawyer
• 1957 – Bernie Mac, American actor, comedian, producer, and screenwriter (d. 2008)
• 1957 – Lee Thompson, English singer-songwriter and saxophonist
• 1958 – André Kuipers, Dutch physician and astronaut
• 1958 – Neil Peart, Australian footballer
• 1958 – Neil deGrasse Tyson, American astrophysicist, cosmologist, and author
• 1959 – Kenan İpek, Turkish lawyer and judge
• 1959 – Maya Lin, American architect and sculptor, designed the Vietnam Veterans Memorial and Civil Rights Memorial
• 1959 – Kelly Joe Phelps, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (d. 2022)
• 1960 – Daniel Baldwin, American actor, director, and producer
• 1960 – Careca, Brazilian footballer
• 1960 – David Kirk, New Zealand rugby player and coach
• 1961 – Pato Banton, English singer-songwriter
• 1962 – Michael Andretti, American race car driver
• 1962 – Thomas Herbst, German footballer and manager
• 1962 – Caron Keating, British television host (d. 2004)
• 1963 – Laura Davies, English golfer and sportscaster
• 1963 – Tony Dodemaide, Australian cricketer
• 1963 – Michael Hadschieff, Austrian speed skater
• 1963 – Nick Robinson, English journalist and blogger
• 1964 – Philip A. Haigh, English historian and author
• 1964 – Malik Saidullaev, Russian businessman
• 1964 – Korina Sanchez, Filipino journalist
• 1965 – Trace Armstrong, American football player and agent
• 1965 – Mario Lemieux, Canadian ice hockey player
• 1965 – Patrick Roy, Canadian ice hockey player and coach
• 1966 – Dennis Byrd, American football player (d. 2016)
• 1966 – Sean M. Carroll, American physicist, cosmologist, and academic
• 1966 – Fredrik Olausson, Swedish ice hockey player
• 1966 – Terri Runnels, American wrestler and manager
• 1966 – Jan Verhaas, Dutch snooker player and referee
• 1967 – Rex Chapman, American basketball player and sportscaster
• 1967 – Guy Pearce, English-Australian actor
• 1970 – Josie Bissett, American actress
• 1970 – Matthew Knights, Australian footballer and coach
• 1970 – Tord Gustavsen, Norwegian pianist and composer
• 1970 – Cal Wilson, New Zealand comedian, actress, and screenwriter (d. 2023)
• 1971 – Tonia Antoniazzi, British politician
• 1971 – Mauricio Pellegrino, Argentinian footballer and manager
• 1972 – Annely Akkermann, Estonian banker and politician
• 1972 – Aaron Guiel, Canadian baseball player
• 1972 – Grant Hill, American basketball player and actor
• 1972 – Thomas Roberts, American journalist and actor
• 1973 – Cédric Villani, French mathematician and academic
• 1974 – Rich Franklin, American mixed martial artist and actor
• 1974 – Heather Headley, Trinidadian-American singer, songwriter, and actress
• 1974 – Anousjka van Exel, Dutch tennis player
• 1975 – Bobo Baldé, French-Guinean footballer
• 1975 – Carson Ellis, American painter and illustrator
• 1975 – Parminder Nagra, English actress
• 1975 – Monica Rial, American voice actress, director, and screenwriter
• 1975 – Scott Weinger, American actor
• 1975 – Kate Winslet, English actress
• 1976 – Ramzan Kadyrov, Russian-Chechen general and politician, 3rd President of the Chechen Republic
• 1976 – Royston Tan, Singaporean director, producer, and screenwriter
• 1976 – J. J. Yeley, American race car driver
• 1977 – Hugleikur Dagsson, Icelandic author, illustrator, and critic
• 1977 – Vinnie Paz, Italian-American rapper and producer
• 1977 – Konstantin Zyryanov, Russian footballer
• 1978 – Steinar Nickelsen, Norwegian organist and composer
• 1978 – Jesse Palmer, Canadian football player and sportscaster
• 1978 – Shane Ryan, Irish footballer and hurler
• 1978 – James Valentine, American musician and songwriter
• 1978 – Morgan Webb, Canadian-American television host and producer
• 1979 – Vince Grella, Australian footballer
• 1979 – Curtis Sanford, Canadian ice hockey player
• 1980 – Yuta Tabuse, Japanese basketball player
• 1980 – Paul Thomas, American bass player
• 1980 – James Toseland, English motorcycle racer
• 1981 – Jeanette Antolin, American gymnast
• 1981 – Joel Lindpere, Estonian footballer
• 1981 – Andy Nägelein, German footballer
• 1982 – Michael Roos, Estonian-American football player
• 1982 – Steve Williams, Australian-German rugby player
• 1983 – Jesse Eisenberg, American actor and writer
• 1983 – Nicky Hilton, American socialite, fashion designer, and model
• 1983 – Florian Mayer, German tennis player
• 1983 – Mashrafe Mortaza, Bangladeshi cricketer
• 1984 – Naima Adedapo, American singer and dancer
• 1984 – Kenwyne Jones, Trinidadian footballer
• 1984 – Nathalie Kelley, Peruvian-Australian actress
• 1984 – Nate Thompson, American ice hockey player
• 1985 – Nicola Roberts, English singer-songwriter
• 1985 – Brooke Valentine, American singer and songwriter
• 1986 – Mladen Bartulović, Croatian footballer
• 1986 – Tanner Roark, American baseball player
• 1987 – Dillon Francis, American DJ and record producer
• 1987 – Michael Grabner, Austrian ice hockey player
• 1987 – Jesse Joensuu, Finnish ice hockey player
• 1987 – Kevin Mirallas, Belgian footballer
• 1987 – Tim Ream, American soccer player
• 1987 – Park So-yeon, South Korean singer, dancer, and actress
• 1987 – Luigi Vitale, Italian footballer
• 1987 – Brandan Wright, American basketball player
• 1988 – Benny Howell, English cricketer
• 1988 – Bahar Kızıl, German singer-songwriter
• 1988 – Maja Salvador, Filipino actress, dancer, singer, and host
• 1989 – Kelsey Adrian, Canadian basketball player
• 1989 – Marcel Baude, German footballer
• 1989 – Ify Ibekwe, American basketball player
• 1989 – Travis Kelce, American football player
• 1990 – Nathan Peats, Australian rugby league player
• 1991 – Pär Lindholm, Swedish ice hockey player
• 1991 – Tornike Shengelia, Georgian basketball player
• 1992 – Kevin Magnussen, Danish racing driver
• 1992 – Cody Zeller, American basketball player
• 1993 – Jewell Loyd, American basketball player
• 1993 – Wakamotoharu Minato, Japanese sumo wrestler
• 1999 – Washington Sundar, Indian cricketer
• 2006 – Jacob Tremblay, Canadian actor

Pre-1600

• 578 – Justin II, Byzantine emperor (b. 520)
• 610 – Phocas, Byzantine emperor
• 989 – Henry III, duke of Bavaria (b. 940)
• 1056 – Henry III, Holy Roman Emperor (b. 1016)
• 1111 – Robert II, count of Flanders (b. 1065)
• 1112 – Sigebert of Gembloux, French monk, historian, and author (b. 1030)
• 1214 – Alfonso VIII, king of Castile and Toledo (b. 1155)
• 1225 – Al-Nasir, Abbasid caliph (b. 1158)
• 1285 – Philip III, king of France (b. 1245)
• 1354 – Giovanni Visconti, Italian cardinal (b. 1290)
• 1398 – Blanche of Navarre, queen of France (b. 1330)
• 1399 – Raymond of Capua, Italian priest and Master General (b. c. 1330)
• 1524 – Joachim Patinir, Flemish landscape painter (b. c. 1480)
• 1528 – Richard Foxe, English bishop and academic (b. 1448)
• 1540 – Helius Eobanus Hessus, German poet and educator (b. 1488)
• 1564 – Pierre de Manchicourt, Flemish composer and educator (b. 1510)
• 1565 – Lodovico Ferrari, Italian mathematician and academic (b. 1522)

1601–1900

• 1606 – Philippe Desportes, French poet and author (b. 1546)
• 1629 – Heribert Rosweyde, Jesuit hagiographer (b. 1569)
• 1714 – Kaibara Ekken, Japanese botanist and philosopher (b. 1630)
• 1740 – Jean-Philippe Baratier, German astronomer and scholar (b. 1721)
• 1777 – Johann Andreas Segner, Slovak-German mathematician, physicist, and physician (b. 1704)
• 1802 – Sanité Bélair, Haitian freedom fighter (b. 1781)
• 1805 – Charles Cornwallis, 1st Marquess Cornwallis, English general and politician, Lord Lieutenant of Ireland (b. 1738)
• 1813 – Tecumseh, American tribal leader (b. 1768)
• 1827 – William Mullins, 2nd Baron Ventry, Anglo-Irish politician and peer (b. 1761)
• 1848 – Joseph Hormayr, Baron zu Hortenburg, Austrian-German historian and politician (b. 1781)
• 1861 – Antoni Melchior Fijałkowski, Polish archbishop (b. 1778)
• 1880 – Jacques Offenbach, German-French cellist and composer (b. 1819)
• 1885 – Thomas C. Durant, American railroad tycoon (b. 1820)
• 1895 – Ralph Tollemache, English priest (b. 1826)

1901–present

• 1913 – Hans von Bartels, German painter and educator (b. 1856)
• 1914 – Albert Solomon, Australian politician, 23rd Premier of Tasmania (b. 1876)
• 1918 – Roland Garros, French soldier and pilot (b. 1888)
• 1921 – John Storey, Australian politician, 20th Premier of New South Wales (b. 1869)
• 1927 – Sam Warner, Polish-American director, producer, and screenwriter, co-founded Warner Bros. (b. 1887)
• 1929 – Varghese Payyappilly Palakkappilly, Indian priest, founded the Sisters of the Destitute (b. 1876)
• 1930 – Christopher Thomson, 1st Baron Thomson, Indian-English soldier and politician, Secretary of State for Air (b. 1875)
• 1933 – Renée Adorée, French-American actress (b. 1898)
• 1933 – Nikolai Yudenich, Russian general (b. 1862)
• 1936 – J. Slauerhoff, Dutch poet and author (b. 1898)
• 1938 – Faustina Kowalska, Polish nun and saint (b. 1905)
• 1938 – Albert Ranft, Swedish actor and director (b. 1858)
• 1940 – Ballington Booth, English-American activist, co-founded the Volunteers of America (b. 1857)
• 1940 – Lincoln Loy McCandless, American rancher and politician (b. 1859)
• 1940 – Silvestre Revueltas, Mexican violinist, composer, and conductor (b. 1889)
• 1941 – Louis Brandeis, American lawyer and jurist (b. 1856)
• 1942 – Dorothea Klumpke, American astronomer (b. 1861)
• 1943 – Leon Roppolo, American clarinet player and composer (b. 1902)
• 1950 – Frederic Lewy, German-American neurologist and academic (b. 1885)
• 1952 – Joe Jagersberger, Austrian racing driver (b. 1884)
• 1967 – Clifton Williams, American astronaut (b. 1932)
• 1976 – Barbara Nichols, American actress (b. 1928)
• 1976 – Lars Onsager, Norwegian-American chemist and physicist, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1903)
• 1981 – Gloria Grahame, American actress (b. 1923)
• 1983 – Humberto Mauro, Brazilian director and screenwriter (b. 1897)
• 1983 – Earl Tupper, American inventor and businessman, founded the Tupperware Corporation (b. 1907)
• 1985 – Karl Menger, Austrian-American mathematician from the Vienna Circle (b. 1902)
• 1986 – Mike Burgmann, Australian racing driver and accountant (b. 1947)
• 1986 – Hal B. Wallis, American film producer (b. 1898)
• 1986 – James H. Wilkinson, English mathematician and computer scientist (b. 1919)
• 1992 – Eddie Kendricks, American singer-songwriter (b. 1939)
• 1996 – Seymour Cray, American engineer and businessman, founded CRAY Inc (b. 1925)
• 1997 – Brian Pillman, American football player and wrestler (b. 1962)
• 2000 – Johanna Döbereiner, Brazilian agronomist (b. 1924)
• 2000 – Cătălin Hîldan, Romanian footballer (b. 1976)
• 2001 – Mike Mansfield, American soldier, politician, and diplomat, 22nd United States Ambassador to Japan (b. 1903)
• 2002 – Chuck Rayner, Canadian ice hockey player (b. 1920)
• 2003 – Dan Snyder, Canadian-American ice hockey player (b. 1978)
• 2003 – Timothy Treadwell, American environmentalist, director, and producer (b. 1957)
• 2004 – Rodney Dangerfield, American comedian, actor, producer, and screenwriter (b. 1921)
• 2004 – William H. Dobelle, American biologist and academic (b. 1941)
• 2004 – Maurice Wilkins, New Zealand-English physicist and biologist, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1916)
• 2006 – Antonio Peña, Mexican wrestling promoter, founded Lucha Libre AAA World Wide (b. 1953)
• 2010 – Bernard Clavel, French journalist and author (b. 1923)
• 2010 – Mary Leona Gage, American model and actress, Miss USA 1957 (b. 1939)
• 2010 – Steve Lee, Swiss singer-songwriter (b. 1963)
• 2011 – Derrick Bell, American academic and scholar (b. 1930)
• 2011 – Bert Jansch, Scottish singer-songwriter and guitarist (b. 1943)
• 2011 – Steve Jobs, American businessman, co-founder of Apple Inc. (b. 1955)
• 2011 – Charles Napier, American actor and singer (b. 1936)
• 2011 – Fred Shuttlesworth, American activist, co-founded the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (b. 1922)
• 2011 – Gökşin Sipahioğlu, Turkish photographer and journalist (b. 1926)
• 2012 – Keith Campbell, English biologist and academic (b. 1954)
• 2012 – Vojin Dimitrijević, Croatian-Serbian lawyer and activist (b. 1932)
• 2012 – James W. Holley III, American dentist and politician (b. 1926)
• 2012 – Edvard Mirzoyan, Georgian-Armenian composer and educator (b. 1921)
• 2012 – Claude Pinoteau, French director and screenwriter (b. 1925)
• 2013 – Ruth R. Benerito, American chemist and academic (b. 1916)
• 2013 – Carlo Lizzani, Italian actor, director, producer, and screenwriter (b. 1922)
• 2013 – Yakkun Sakurazuka, Japanese voice actress and singer (b. 1976)
• 2014 – David Chavchavadze, English-American CIA officer and author (b. 1924)
• 2014 – Andrea de Cesaris, Italian racing driver (b. 1959)
• 2014 – Geoffrey Holder, Trinidadian-American actor, singer, dancer, and choreographer (b. 1930)
• 2014 – Yuri Lyubimov, Russian actor and director (b. 1917)
• 2015 – Chantal Akerman, Belgian-French actress, director, and producer (b. 1950)
• 2015 – Joker Arroyo, Filipino lawyer and politician (b. 1927)
• 2015 – Grace Lee Boggs, American philosopher, author, and activist (b. 1915)
• 2015 – Henning Mankell, Swedish author and playwright (b. 1948)
• 2016 – Brock Yates, American journalist and author (b. 1933)
• 2017 – Eberhard van der Laan, Dutch politician, mayor of Amsterdam (b. 1955)

• World Space Week (October 4–10)
• Armed Forces Day (Indonesia)
• Christian feast day:
  • Anna Schäffer
  • Faustina Kowalska
  • Blessed Francis Xavier Seelos (Roman Catholic Church)
  • Blessed Bartolo Longo
  • Thraseas
  • Hor and Susia (Coptic Orthodox Church of Alexandria)
  • Placid and Maurus
  • Placidus (martyr)
  • October 5 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
• Constitution Day (Vanuatu)
• Engineer's Day (Bolivia)
• International Day of No Prostitution
• Republic Day (Portugal)
• Teachers' Day (Pakistan)
• Teachers' Day (Russia)
• World Teachers' Day

• "On This Day". BBC.
• The New York Times: On This Day
• "Historical Events on October 5". OnThisDay.com.