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533 - Byzantine general Belisarius makes his formal entry into Carthage, having conquered it from the Vandals.

1552 - Khanate of Kazan is conquered by troops of Ivan Grozny.

1582 - Pope Gregory XIII implements the Gregorian Calendar. In Italy, Poland, Portugal, and Spain, October 4 of this year is followed directly by October 15.

1764 - Edward Gibbon observes a group of friars singing in the ruined Temple of Jupiter in Rome, which inspires him to begin work on The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire

1815 - Napoleon I of France begins his exile on St. Helena in the Atlantic Ocean.

1863 - American Civil War: The first submarine to sink a ship, and first to sink an enemy warship, CSS ''H. L. Hunley'' sinks during a test, killing its inventor, Horace L. Hunley.

1878 - The Edison Electric Light Company begins operation.

1880 - Mexican soldiers kill Victorio, one of the greatest Apache military strategists.

1883 - The Supreme Court of the United States declares part of the Civil Rights Act of 1875 to be unconstitutional.

1894 - Alfred Dreyfus is arrested for spying - Dreyfus affair begins.

1898 - Zeta Tau Alpha is founded at Longwood University in Farmville, Virginia.

1904 - The Russian Baltic Fleet leaves Reval, Estonia for Port Arthur during the Russo-Japanese War.

1904 - Theta Tau, the Professional Engineering Fraternity, is founded at the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

1917 - World War I: At Vincennes outside of Paris, Dutch dancer Mata Hari is executed by firing squad for spying for Germany.

1928 - The airship, the Graf Zeppelin completed its first trans-Atlantic flight, landing at Lakehurst, New Jersey, USA.

1932 - Tata Airlines (later to become Air India) makes its first flight.

1934 - The Soviet Republic of China collapses when Chiang Kai-shek's National Revolutionary Army successfully encircle Ruijin, forcing the fleeing Communists to begin the Long March.

1939 - The New York Municipal Airport (later renamed La Guardia Airport) is dedicated.

1940 - The Great Dictator, a satiric social commentary film by and starring Charlie Chaplin, is released.

1945 - World War II: The former premier of Vichy France Pierre Laval is shot by a firing squad for treason.

1946 - Nuremberg Trials: Hermann Göring poisons himself the night before his execution.

1951 - Television sitcom I Love Lucy premieres.

1951 - Mexican chemist Luis E. Miramontes synthesized the first oral contraceptive

1953 - British nuclear test Totem 1 detonated at Emu Field, South Australia.

1965 - Vietnam War: The National Coordinating Committee to End the War in Vietnam stages the first public burning of a draft card in the United States to result in arrest under a new law.

1966 - US President Lyndon B. Johnson signs a bill creating the United States Department of Transportation.

1969 - Vietnam War: Hundreds of thousands of people take part in National Moratorium antiwar demonstrations across the United States.

1970 - Thirty-five construction workers are killed when a section of the new West Gate Bridge in Melbourne collapses.

1970 - Anwar Sadat becomes president of Egypt

1971 - The start of the 2500 Year Celebration of Iran, celebrating the birth of Persia.

1981 - Professional cheerleader Krazy George Henderson leads what is thought to be the first audience wave in Oakland, California.

1987 - The Great Storm of 1987 hits France and England.

1988 - Kirk Gibson hits a game-winning home run as the Los Angeles Dodgers defeat the Oakland Athletics in Game 1 of the World Series.

1989 - Wayne Gretzky becomes the all time leading points scorer in the NHL.

1990 - Soviet Union leader Mikhail Gorbachev is awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts to lessen Cold War tensions and open up his nation.

1991 - Following a bitter confirmation hearing that involved allegations of sexual misconduct, the United States Senate votes to confirm Judge Clarence Thomas to the Supreme Court of the United States by one of the closest margins ever, 52-48.

1992 - In Russia, Andrei Chikatilo is found guilty of 52 serial murders.

1995 - The Carolina Panthers win their first-ever regular season game by defeating the New York Jets at Clemson Memorial Stadium in South Carolina.

1995 - Saddam Hussein gains 99.96% of votes in Iraq's presidential elections.

1997 - The first supersonic land speed record is set by Andy Green in ThrustSSC (United Kingdom).

1997 - The Cassini probe launches from Cape Canaveral on its way to Saturn.

2001 - NASA's Galileo spacecraft passes within 112 miles of Jupiter's moon Io.

2003 - China launches Shenzhou 5, its first manned space mission.

2003 - Ilham Aliyev becomes President of Azerbaijan succeeding his father Heydar Aliyev.

2003 - The Staten Island Ferry boat Andrew J. Barberi collides with a pier at the St. George Ferry Terminal in Staten Island, killing 11 people and injuring 43 others (see 2003 Staten Island Ferry crash).

2003 - Terri Schiavo's feeding tube is removed following numerous failed petitions by her parents to prevent such action. It would be reinserted a week later by order of Florida Governor Jeb Bush.

2005 - Iraqi constitution ratification vote

2005 - Riot in Toledo, Ohio breaks out during a National Socialist/Neo-Nazi protest; over 100 are arrested.

2005 - Brett Hull retires from the NHL as third highest all-time goal scorer.

2006 - Hawaii experiences 6.5 magnitude earthquake and landslides on the islands of Oahu and Hawaii.

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70 BC - Virgil, Roman poet (d. 19 BC)

1471 - Konrad Mutian, German humanist (d. 1526)

1542 - Akbar, Jellaladin Mahommed, Mughal Emperor (died 1605)

1608 - Evangelista Torricelli, Italian physicist (d. 1647)

1686 - Allan Ramsay, Scottish poet (d. 1758)

1784 - Thomas Robert Bugeaud de la Piconnerie, French marshal (d. 1849)

1814 - Mikhail Lermontov, Russian author (d. 1841)

1829 - Asaph Hall, American astronomer (d. 1907)

1836 - James Tissot, French artist (d. 1902)

1840 - Honoré Mercier, politician and premier of Quebec (d. 1894)

1844 - Friedrich Nietzsche, German philosopher (d. 1900)

1858 - John L. Sullivan, American boxer (d. 1918))

1872 - Wilhelm Miklas, Austrian president (d. 1956))

1874 - Prince Alfred of Edinburgh and Saxe-Coburg-Gotha (d. 1899)

1878 - Paul Reynaud, French politician (d. 1966)

1881 - P. G. Wodehouse, British novelist (d. 1975)

1882 - Charley O'Leary, American baseball player (d. 1941)

1893 - King Carol II of Romania (d. 1953)

1894 - Moshe Sharett, second Prime Minister of Israel (d. 1965)

1898 - Boughera El Ouafi, Algerian athlete (d. 1951)

1900 - Mervyn LeRoy, American film director (d. 1987)

1905 - C. P. Snow, British writer (d. 1980)

1906 - Hiram Leong Fong, American politician (d. 2004)

1907 - Varian Fry, American journalist (d. 1987)

1908 - John Kenneth Galbraith, Canadian economist (d. 2006)

1909 - Robert Trout, American reporter (d. 2000)

1909 - Jesse Leonard Greenstein, American astronomer (d. 2002)

1915 - Yitzhak Shamir, Israeli politician

1917 - Jan Miner, American actress

1917 - Arthur Schlesinger Jr., American political commentator

1920 - Mario Puzo, American novelist (d. 1999)

1920 - Henri Verneuil, French film director (d. 2002)

1922 - Agustina Bessa-Luís, Portuguese writer

1923 - Italo Calvino. Italian writer (d. 1985)

1924 - Lee Iacocca, American industrialist

1924 - Mark Lenard, American actor (d. 1996)

1925 - Mickey Baker, American guitarist (Mickey & Sylvia)

1926 - Michel Foucault, French philosopher (d. 1984)

1926 - Evan Hunter, American author (d. 2005)

1926 - Jean Peters, American actress (d. 2000)

1926 - Karl Richter, German conductor (d. 1981)

1930 - FM-2030, philosopher (d. 2000)

1931 - Avul Pakir Jainulabdeen Abdul Kalam, President of India

1935 - Bobby Joe Morrow, American athlete

1935 - Barry McGuire, American singer

1938 - Fela Kuti, Nigerian musician (d. 1997)

1938 - Marv Johnson, American R&B and soul singer (d. 1993)

1940 - Tommy Bishop, English rugby league player

1940 - Peter Doherty, Australian immunologist, Nobel laureate

1942 - Penny Marshall, American actress

1944 - Sali Berisha, President of Albania

1944 - David Trimble, Irish politician, Nobel laureate

1945 - Jim Palmer, American baseball player

1946 - Richard Carpenter, American musician (Carpenters)

1948 - Chris de Burgh, Irish singer and songwriter

1953 - Tito Jackson, American musician

1953 - Betsy Clifford, Canadian alpine skier

1954 - Peter Bakowski, Australian poet

1954 - Tanya Roberts, American actress

1955 - Kulbir Bhaura, British field hockey player

1957 - Mira Nair, Indian director

1959 - Sarah Ferguson, Duchess of York

1959 - Emeril Lagasse, American chef

1959 - Todd Solondz, American film director

1964 - Roberto Vittori, Italian astronaut

1968 - Didier Deschamps, French football player

1969 - Vanessa Marcil, American actress

1969 - Dominic West, British actor

1970 - Eric Benét, American singer

1971 - Andy Cole, British footballer

1971 - Jason Arhndt, American wrestler

1972 - Sandra Kim, Belgian singer

1975 - Ginuwine, American singer

1976 - Yoon Son-ha, South Korean actress

1977 - Erin McKeown, American musician

1977 - David Trézéguet, French football player

1977 - Patricio Urrutia, Ecuadorian footballer

1979 - Paul Robinson, English football player

1979 - Māris Verpakovskis, Latvian football player

1980 - Tom Boonen, Belgian cyclist

1981 - Keyshia Cole, African American R&B singer

1981 - Elena Dementieva, Russian tennis player

1981 - Guo Jingjing, Chinese diver

1984 - Shayne Ward, English singer

2005 - Prince Christian of Denmark, Prince of Denmark

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412 - Theophilus, Patriarch of Alexandria

898 - Lambert, Holy Roman Emperor

1002 - Otto-Henry, Duke of Burgundy (b. 946)

1326 - Walter de Stapledon, English bishop (b. 1261)

1389 - Pope Urban VI

1564 - Vesalius, Flemish anatomist (b. 1514)

1715 - Humphry Ditton, English mathematician (b. 1675)

1730 - Antoine Laumet de La Mothe, sieur de Cadillac, French explorer (b. 1658)

1788 - Samuel Greig, Scottish-Russian admiral (b. 1735)

1810 - Alfred Moore, American judge (b. 1755)

1811 - Nathaniel Dance-Holland, English painter (b. 1735)

1817 - Tadeusz Kościuszko, Polish and Lithuanian national hero

1819 - Sergey Vyazmitinov, Russian general and statesman (b. 1744)

1820 - Karl Philipp Fürst zu Schwarzenberg, Austrian field marshal (b. 1771)

1837 - Ivan Dmitriev, Russian statesman and poet (b. 1760)

1880 - Victorio, Apache leader

1891 - Gilbert Arthur a Beckett, English writer (b. 1837)

1900 - Zdeněk Fibich, Czech composer (b. 1850)

1917 - Mata Hari, Dutch dancer and spy (b. 1876)

1918 - Shirdi Sai Baba, Indian guru (b. circa 1838)

1934 - Raymond Poincaré, French statesman (b. 1860)

1945 - Pierre Laval, Prime Minister of Vichy France (executed) (b. 1883)

1946 - Hermann Göring, German air force commander (suicide) (b. 1893)

1948 - Edythe Chapman, American actress (b. 1863)

1959 - Lipót Fejér, Hungarian mathematician (b. 1880)

1960 - Clara Kimball Young, American actress (b. 1890)

1964 - Cole Porter, American composer (b. 1891)

1976 - Carlo Gambino, American Gangster (b. 1902)

1980 - Mikhail Lavrentyev, Russian physicist and mathematician (b. 1900)

1988 - Kaikhosru Shapurji Sorabji, English composer and pianist (b. 1892)

1994 - Sarah Kofman, French philosopher (b. 1934)

2000 - Konrad Emil Bloch, German-born biochemist, recipient of the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine (b. 1912)

2001 - Zhang Xueliang, Chinese ruler of Manchuria (b. 1901)

2003 - Bertram N. Brockhouse, Canadian physicist, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1918)

2003 - Ben Metcalfe, Canadian environmental activist (b. 1919)

2005 - Jason Collier, American basketball player (b. 1977)

2005 - Matti Wuori, Finnish politician (b. 1945)

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Roman festivals - the Equirria or October equus: sacrifice of a horse to Mars

R.C. Saints - Saint Teresa of Avila

United States - White Cane Safety Day, Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Day

French Republican Calendar - Amaryllis (Amaryllis) Day, twenty-fourth day in the Month of Vendémiaire