- Oct 1 Geoffrey Whitehead, English actor
- Oct 1 George Archer, American golfer (US Masters 1969), born in San Francisco, California (d. 2005)
- Oct 2 Budhi Kunderan, Indian cricket wicketkeeper and batsman (18 Tests; 2 x 100s), born in Mulki, Karnataka (d. 2006)
- Oct 2 George Reed, American CFL HOF running back (CFL MVP 1965, 76; Grey Cup MVP 1966; Saskatchewan Roughriders), born in Vicksburg, Mississippi (d. 2023)
- Oct 2 Lolly Vegas [Candido Vasquez], American rock singer (Redbone - "Come And Get Your Love"), born in Coalinga, California (d. 2010)
- Oct 2 Özcan Arkoç, Turkish soccer goalkeeper (9 caps; Hamburger SV) and manager (Hamburger SV, Hannover 96), born in Hayrabolu, Turkey (d. 2021)
- Oct 2 Yury Glazkov, Soviet Air Force officer and cosmonaut (Soyuz 24), born in Moscow (d. 2008)
- Oct 3 'Bullet' Bob Armstrong, American pro wrestler (WWE Hall of Fame), born in Marietta, Georgia (d. 2020)
- Oct 3 Velibor Vasović, Serbian soccer sweeper (32 caps Yugoslavia; Partizan Belgrade, Ajax) and manager (Partizan, PSG, Red Star Belgrade), born in Požarevac, Serbia (d. 2002)
- Oct 4 Henson Moore, American politician (Rep-R-LA, 1975-87), born in Lake Charles, Louisiana
- Oct 5 Consuelo Ynares-Santiago, Filipino Supreme Court jurist, born in Binangonan, Rizal, Philippines
- Oct 5 Marie Laforêt, French singer and actress, born in Soulac-sur-Mer, Gironde France
- Oct 5 Marie-Claire Blais, French Canadian author and playwright, born in Quebec, Canada
- Oct 5 Walter Wolf, Slovenian-Canadian industrialist, born in Graz, Austria
- Oct 6 Doug Bereuter, American politician (Rep-R-Nebraska, 1979-2004), born in York, Nebraska
- Oct 6 John LaFalce, American politician (Rep-D-NY, 1975-2003), born in Buffalo, New York
- Oct 6 Melvyn Bragg, British broadcaster (The South Bank Show, 1978–2010), born in Carlisle, England
- Oct 7 Clive James, Australian television presenter, poet writer, born in Kogarah, Australia (d. 2019)
- Oct 7 Colin Cooper, British vocalist and harmonica player (Climax Blues Band - "Couldn't Get It Right"), born in Stafford, England (d. 2008)
- Oct 7 Harold Kroto, English chemist and Nobel laureate (1996), born in Wisbech (d. 2016)
- Oct 7 Joel Brodsky, American photographer, created over 400 album covers (The Doors; Isaac Hayes; Ohio Players), born in Brooklyn, New York (d. 2007)
- Oct 7 John Hopcroft, American computer scientist, born in Seattle, Washington
- Oct 7 Mel Brown, American-Canadian blues guitarist and singer (Eighteen Pounds of Unclean Chitlings), born in Jackson, Mississippi (d. 2009)
- Oct 8 Andrew William Thomas, American composer (Three Transformations), born in Ithaca, New York
- Oct 8 Armando Gentilucci, Italian composer, born in Lecce, Italy (d. 1989)
- Oct 8 Boris Dubrovsky, Russian rower (Olympic gold double sculls [Oleg Tyurin] 1964), born in Moscow, Russia (d. 2023)
- Oct 8 Elvīra Ozoliņa, Soviet javelin thrower (Olympic gold 1960), born in Leningrad
- Oct 8 Harvey Pekar, American comic book writer (American Splendor), born in Cleveland, Ohio (d. 2010)
- Oct 8 Lynne Stewart, American defense attorney (known for representing controversial, poor, and often unpopular defendants), born in Brooklyn, New York (d. 2017)
- Oct 8 Paul Hogan, Australian actor (Crocodile Dundee, Lightning Jack), born in Lightning Ridge, New South Wales, Australia
- Oct 9 (Overton Vertis) "O.V." Wright, American singer, born in Lenow, Tennessee, (d. 1980)
- Oct 9 Pierre Mertens, Belgian lawyer and writer (Lettres Clandestines), born in Watermael-Boitsfort, Belgium
- Oct 10 Joe Pitts, American politician (Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Pennsylvania), born in Lexington, Kentucky
- Oct 11 Franklin Sonn, South African union leader (South African workers), born in Vosburg, South Africa
Maria Bueno (1939-2018)
Oct 11 Brazilian tennis player (7 Grand Slam singles titles), born in São Paulo, Brazil
- Oct 11 Woytec Lowski [Woiciech Wiesidlowski], Polish dancer and ballet master, born in Brzesc, Poland (d. 1995)
- Oct 12 Carolee Schneemann, American performance artist, born in Fox Chase, Philadelphia
- Oct 13 Melinda Dillon, American actress (Close Encounters; Slap Shot; A Christmas Story), born in Hope, Arkansas (d. 2023)
- Oct 13 T. J. Cloutier, American poker player, born in Albany, California
Ralph Lauren (84 years old)
Oct 14 American fashion designer (Chaps, Polo Ralph Lauren), born in The Bronx, New York
- Oct 15 Carmelo Bossi, Italian boxer (Olympic silver 1960; Lineal, WBC, WBA super welterweight title 1970-71), born in Milan, Italy (d. 2014)
- Oct 15 Willibert Kremer, German soccer coach (MSV Duisburg, Bayer Leverkusen, 1860 Munich, Fortuna Düsseldorf), born in Hochneukirch, Germany (d. 2021)
- Oct 16 Amancio Amaro, Spanish soccer outside right (42 caps; Deportivo de La Coruña, Real Madrid), born in A Coruña, Spain (d. 2023)
- Oct 18 Flavio Cotti, member of the Swiss Federal Council
Lee Harvey Oswald (1939-1963)
Oct 18 American assassin of JFK, born in New Orleans, Louisiana
Mike Ditka (84 years old)
Oct 18 American NFL coach and tight-end (Bears, Cowboys, NFL rookie year 1961), born in Carnegie, Pennsylvania
- Oct 18 Viktor Lisitsky, Russian gymnast (5 x Olympic silver USSR 1964, 68; World C'ship silver team 1962, 70), born in Magnitogorsk, Russia (d. 2023)
- Oct 19 Masabumi Kikuchi, Japanese jazz pianist, synthesizer player, and composer, born in Tokyo, Japan (d. 2015)
- Oct 20 Jay Siegel, American rock bassist (Tokens - "The Lion Sleeps Tonight"), born in Brooklyn, New York
- Oct 20 Raymond Jones, British keyboardist and songwriter, born in Oldham, England
- Oct 21 Boro Jovanović, Croatian tennis player (Wimbledon doubles 1962 runner-up [Nikola Pilić]), born in Zagreb, Croatia (d. 2023)
- Oct 22 George Cohen, English soccer defender (37 caps; FIFA World Cup 1966; Fulham 459 games), born in London, England (d. 2022)
- Oct 22 Joaquim Chissano, president of Mozambique (1986- )
- Oct 22 Ray Jones, British rock bassist (Billy J Kramer & The Dakotas), born in Oldham, England (d. 2000)
- Oct 22 Tony Roberts, actor (Annie Hall, Edge of Night, Lucie Arnaz Show), born in New York City
- Oct 23 Charlie Foxx, American soul songwriter, guitarist, and singer ("Mockingbird"), born in Greensboro, North Carolina (d. 1998)
F. Murray Abraham (84 years old)
Oct 24 American actor (All the President's Men and Amadeus), born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
- Oct 24 Uri Sharvit, Israeli composer, born in Jerusalem
- Oct 25 Robin Spry, Canadian filmmaker and producer (Action: The October Crisis of 1970), born in Toronto, Ontario (d. 2005)
- Oct 25 Zelmo Beaty, American Basketball HOF center (2 × NBA All-Star; 3 × ABA All-Star; St Louis Hawks, Utah Stars, LA Lakers), born in Hillister, Texas (d. 2013)
- Oct 26 Vladimir Mikhailovich Beloborodov, Russian cosmonaut, born in Oloviyanna, Chita Region, Russia
- Oct 27 Dallas Frazier, American country music songwriter ("Alley Oop"; "Elvira"; "There Goes My Everything"), born in Spiro, Oklahoma (d. 2022)
John Cleese (84 years old)
Oct 27 English actor and comedian (Monty Python), born in Weston-super-Mare, Somerset
- Oct 28 Andy Bey, American jazz singer and pianist (Horace Silver; Gary Bartz), born in Newark, New Jersey
- Oct 28 Jane Alexander, American actress (Betsy, Kramer vs Kramer), born in Boston, Massachusetts
- Oct 28 Miroslav Cerar, Yugoslav gymnast (Olypmics gold 1964, 68), born in Ljubljana, Kingdom of Yugoslavia
- Oct 30 Eddie Holland, American singer ("Jamie"), lyricist, vocal arranger, and producer (Holland–Dozier–Holland - "Heat Wave"; "Where Did Our Love Go"; "You Keep Me Hanging On"), and Rock and Roll Hall of Fame member, born in Detroit, Michigan
- Oct 30 Emily Howell Warner, American pilot, 1st woman to captain a commercial American airline plane, born in Denver, Colorado (d. 2020)
- Oct 30 Grace Slick, American rock vocalist (Jefferson Airplane - "White Rabbit"), born in Highland Park, Illinois
- Oct 30 Leland H. Hartwell, American scientist (Nobel 2001 - discoveries of protein molecules that control the division (duplication) of cells), born in Los Angeles, California
- Oct 30 Norman West, American singer (The Soul Children - "Hearsay,"; "Give 'em Love"), born in Lake Providence, Louisiana
- Oct 31 Ali Farka Touré, Malian musician, born in Timbuktu Region, Mali (d. 2006)
- Oct 31 John Guerin, American session and touring jazz-rock drummer and percussionist (Frank Zappa; L.A. Express; Joni Mitchell: Linda Ronstadt), born in Hawaii (d. 2004)
- Oct 31 Ron Rifkin [Saul Rifkin], American actor (Alias - "Arvin Sloane"; Brothers & Sisters; L.A. Confidential), born in New York City
- Oct 31 Tom O'Connor, British comedian and TV game show host, born in Bootle, Lancashire, England (d. 2021)
About October 1939
How Old? 84 years old
Generation: Silent Generation
Leap Year: No