- Oct 1 John Schuerholz Jr., American Baseball HOF executive (GM Kansas City Royals, World Series 1985; GM Atlanta Braves World Series 1995), born in Baltimore, Maryland
- Oct 1 Richard F Pieternella, Dutch Antilles' minister plenipotentiary
- Oct 2 Gheorghe Gruia, Romanian handball player, born in Bucharest, Romania (d. 2015)
- Oct 2 Lord David Davies, Welsh engineer, peer (House of Lords. 1944-99), sailor, and administrator (Chairman of Welsh National Opera, 1975-2000), born in Llandinam, Wales (d. 2024)
- Oct 2 Patrick Sky [Lynch], American musician, folk singer, songwriter, record producer, and uilleann bagpiper (Songs That Made America Famous), born in College Park, Georgia (d. 2021)
- Oct 3 Alan O'Day, American singer and songwriter ("Undercover Angel"; over 100 songs for the Muppet Babies), born in Hollywood, California (d. 2013)
- Oct 3 Jean Ratelle, Canadian Hockey HOF center (NY Rangers, Boston Bruins; named in "100 Greatest NHL Players"), born in Lac Saint-Jean, Quebec, Canada
- Oct 3 Mike Troy, American swimmer (Olympics 2 x gold 200m butterfly, 4×200m freestyle relay 1960), born in Indianapolis, Indiana (d. 2019)
- Oct 3 Sheila Fearn, British actress (The Likely Lads; George and Mildred), born in Leicester, England
- Oct 4 Alberto Vilar, Cuban-American investor and philanthropist
- Oct 4 Silvio Marzolini, Argentine soccer defender (28 caps; Boca Juniors), born in Buenos Aires, Argentina (d. 2020)
- Oct 4 Vic Hadfield, Canadian ice hockey left wing (1,004 NHL games; NY Rangers, Pittsburgh Penguins), born in Oakville, Ontario
- Oct 5 Bob Cowper, Australian cricket batsman (27 Tests, 5 x 100s, TS 307 v England 1966; Victoria CA, WA CA), born in Melbourne Australia
- Oct 6 Boris Dmitriyevich Andreyev, Russian cosmonaut, born in Moscow, USSR (d. 2021)
- Oct 6 Ellen Travolta, American actress (Grease; Charles in Charge), born in Englewood, New Jersey
- Oct 6 John Warnock, American computer scientist, and businessman (co-founder of Adobe Systems), born in Salt Lake City, Utah (d. 2023)
- Oct 6 Wyche Fowler Jr, American attorney and politician (US Representative-D-GA, 1977-87; US Senator from Georgia, 1987-93), born in Atlanta, Georgia
- Oct 7 Bruce F. Vento, American politician (Rep-D-Minnesota, 1977-2000), born in Saint Paul, Minnesota (d. 2000)
- Oct 7 Dino Valenti [Chester "Chet" Powers], American rock guitarist/vocalist (Quicksilver Messenger Service), born in Danbury, Connecticut (d. 1994)
- Oct 7 Richard H. Stallings, American politician (Rep-D-ID, 1985-93), born in Ogden, Utah
- Oct 8 Fred Cash, American soul singer (Impressions - "People Get Ready"; "It's All Right"), born in Chattanooga, Tennessee
- Oct 9 Gordon J. Humphrey, US Senator (R) New Hampshire (1979-90), born in Bristol, Connecticut
- Oct 9 Hans Ulrich Humpert, German composer, born in Paderborn, Germany (d. 2010)
Joe Pepitone (1940-2023)
Oct 9 American baseball utility (3 x MLB All-Star; 3 x Gold Glove; World Series 1962 New York Yankees), born in Brooklyn, New York
John Lennon (1940-1980)
Oct 9 British rock singer-songwriter (The Beatles - "Strawberry Fields Forever"; "Help!"; solo - "Imagine"; "Grow Old With Me"), born in Liverpool, England
- Oct 10 Jimmy Gabriel, Scottish soccer midfielder (2 caps; Everton, Southampton) and coach (Seattle Sounders; SJ Earthquakes, Seattle Storm, Everton), born in Dundee, Scotland (d. 2021)
- Oct 10 Mouse [Stanley Miller] American artist, notable for psychedelic rock concert poster designs and album art (Grateful Dead; Journey), born in Fresno, California
- Oct 12 Glenn Beckert, American baseball second baseman (MLB All-Star 1969-72; Gold Glove Award 1968; Chicago Cubs), born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania (d. 2020)
- Oct 13 (Farrell) "Pharoah" Sanders, American jazz saxophonist (John Coltrane groups; "Karma"), born in Little Rock, Arkansas (d. 2022) [1]
- Oct 13 Chris Farlowe [John Henry Deighton], British rock singer ("Out of Time"), born in London, England
- Oct 14 Christopher Timothy, Welsh actor (All Creatures Great & Small), born in Bala, Wales
Cliff Richard (83 years old)
Oct 14 English rock vocalist ("Move It"; "Living Doll"; "We Don't Talk Anymore"), born in Lucknow, British India
- Oct 14 J. C. Snead, American golfer (8 PGA Tour titles; Masters 1973 runner-up), born in Hot Springs, Virginia
- Oct 14 Pat Finley, American stage and screen actress (The Bob Newhart Show - "Ellen Hartley"), born in Asheville, North Carolina
- Oct 15 Peter C. Doherty, Australian immunologist and veterinary surgeon (Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine1996), born in Brisbane, Australia
- Oct 16 Barry Corbin, American actor (Northern Exposure - "Maurice"; One Tree Hill - "Coach Durham"), born in Lamesa, Texas
Dave DeBusschere (1940-2003)
Oct 16 American NBA forward (NY Knicks) and last ABA commissioner (1975-76), born in Detroit, Michigan
- Oct 17 Jim Smith, English soccer midfielder and manager (Birmingham City, QPR, Portsmouth, Derby County), born in Sheffield, South Yorkshire (d. 2019)
- Oct 17 Peter Stringfellow, British nightclub owner (Stringfellows), born in Sheffield, England (d. 2018)
- Oct 18 Cynthia Weil, American songwriter ("We Got Get Out Of This Place"; "You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin'"; "On Broadway"; "He's So Shy"), born in New York City (d. 2023) [1]
- Oct 18 H.B. "Toby" Halicki, American filmmaker, stunt driver, and actor (Gone In 60 Seconds), born in Dunkirk, New York (d. 1989)
- Oct 19 Jerzy Kulej, Polish light welterweight boxer (Olympic gold 1964, 68), born in Częstochowa, Poland (d. 2012)
- Oct 19 Larry Chance [Figueiredo], American doo-wop vocalist (The Earls - "Remember Then"; "I Believe"), born in the Bronx, NYC (d. 2023)
Michael Gambon (1940-2023)
Oct 19 Irish-English stage and screen actor (The Singing Detective; Albus Dumbledore in the Harry Potter film series), born in Dublin, Ireland [1]
- Oct 20 Kathy Kirby, English singer ("Secret Love"), born in Ilford, England (d. 2011)
- Oct 20 Robert Pinsky, American poet and Poet Laureate of the United States, born in Long Branch, New Jersey
- Oct 21 Don Ritter, American politician (Rep-R-PA, 1979-93), born in New York City
- Oct 21 Frances FitzGerald, American journalist/author (Fire in the Lake), born in New York City
- Oct 21 Geoffrey Boycott, cricketer (stoic England opener 1964-82)
- Oct 21 Julie Parrish, Middlesboro Ky, actress (Good Morning World, Capitol)
- Oct 21 Manfred Mann [Michael Lubowitz], British rock keyboardist ("Mighty Quinn"; "Blinded By The Light"), born in Johannesburg, Transvaal, Union of South Africa
- Oct 21 Osamu Watanabe, Japan, featherweight (Olympic gold 1964)
- Oct 23 Ellie Greenwich, American singer-songwriter ("Da Doo Ron Ron"; "Leader of the Pack"), born in Brooklyn, New York (d. 2009)
- Oct 23 Freddie Marsden, British rock drummer (Gerry & Pacemakers - "How Do You Do It?"; "Ferry Cross The Mersey"), born in Liverpool, England (d. 2006)
Pele (1940-2022)
Oct 23 Brazilian soccer attacking midfielder (92 caps; Player of the Century; 1,281 goals in 1,363 games; Santos, NY Cosmos), born in Três Corações, Brazil [1] [2]
- Oct 24 David Sainsbury, English billionaire, politician (House of Lords, 1997-2021), philanthropist, and Chancellor of Cambridge University (2011-), born in England
- Oct 25 Bob Knight, American College-Basketball HOF coach (Indiana University, 1971-2000 - NCAA Division I C'ship 1976, 81, 87; Olympic gold 1984; Army; Texas Tech), born in Massillon, Ohio (d. 2023)
- Oct 25 Perrie Mans, South African snooker player (Benson & Hedges Masters 1979; World C'ship 1978 runner-up; South African Pro C'ship x 20), born in Lichtenburg, South Africa (d. 2023)
- Oct 26 Gennadi Strekalov, Russian cosmonaut (Soyuz T-3, T-8, T-11, TM-21), born in Mytishchi, Soviet Union (d. 2004)
- Oct 26 Mario Orozco, 1st victim of NYC's Zodiac killer (survives)
- Oct 27 Anthea Joseph, British folk music promoter, and record company publicist, born in London, England (d. 1997)
John Gotti (1940-2002)
Oct 27 American mafia gangster and head of the Gambino family, born in The Bronx, New York
- Oct 27 Julius Eastman, American pianist, vocalist, and minimalist composer (The Holy Presence of Joan d'Arc; Gay Guerrilla), born in New York City (d. 1990)
- Oct 27 Maxine Hong Kingston, American author (The Woman Warrior), born in Stockton, California
- Oct 28 Susan Harris, American television writer and producer (It Takes Two), born in Mount Vernon, New York
- Oct 29 Connie Mack III, American politician (U.S. Senator from Florida), born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
- Oct 29 Frida Boccara, French singer, born in Casablanca, French Morocco (d. 1996)
- Oct 29 Galen Weston, English-Canadian multi-millionaire industrialist, born in Marlow, England
- Oct 29 José Ulises Macías Salcedo, Catholic bishop, born in León, Guanajuato, Mexico
About October 1940
How Old? 83 years old
Generation: Silent Generation
Leap Year: Yes