Famous people and celebrities who died in October 1969

This page is dedicated to commemorating the celebrities and famous people who passed away in October 1969. This month marked the loss of influential and beloved figures whose contributions spanned various fields and touched many lives. Explore our detailed list to remember and celebrate their enduring legacies and the remarkable impact they had on the world

• Oct. 2 Katharine Susannah Prichard

  At 85, a novelist (black opal) dies

• Oct. 3 Skip James

  Skip James was a pioneering Delta blues musician known for his unique, haunting guitar style and influential recordings in the 1930s. He was a key figure in the early blues genre and later experienced a revival during the folk and blues renaissance of the 1960s.

• Oct. 4 Natalino Otto

  Italian singer (born 1912)

• Oct. 6 Walter Hagen

  One of the greatest golfers of all time, winning numerous major championships.

• Oct. 6 Otto Steinböck

  Austrian zoologist (b. 1893)

• Oct. 7 Léon Scieur

  Belgian cyclist (d. 1969).

• Oct. 8 Eduardo Ciannelli

  Italian actor, who started his career in opera baritone on the continent and italy. he served in the italian army during ww i and then moved to the united states for a long, successful career as an actor of character. in 1925, he made his stage debut and was then accepted into films in 1933. his roles included menacing characters …

• Oct. 9 Don Hoak

  American baseball player (b. 1928)

• Oct. 12 Sonja Henie

  Legendary Norwegian figure skater who revolutionized the sport, winning three consecutive Olympic gold medals and becoming a Hollywood movie star. She transformed figure skating from a technical sport to an artistic performance and was one of the highest-paid athletes of her time.

• Oct. 12 Serge Poliakoff

  Renowned Russian-French abstract painter who was a key figure in the post-war Lyrical Abstraction movement. He created distinctive works characterized by vibrant colors and geometric compositions. His art is represented in major international museums.

• Oct. 12 Julius Saaristo

  Finnish javelin thrower and soldier (d. 1969).

• Oct. 15 Rod[erique] La Rocque

  Us western actor (mystery woman).

• Oct. 15 Shermake

  President of (somalia), murdered

• Oct. 18 Gyula Mándi

  Hungarian footballer and manager (b. 1899)

• Oct. 19 Lacey Hearn

  American sprinter (d. 1969).

• Oct. 21 Jack Kerouac

  Iconic Beat Generation writer who revolutionized American literature with spontaneous prose style. His novel 'On the Road' became a defining work of the Beat movement, capturing the spirit of post-war American counterculture.

• Oct. 21 Wacław Sierpiński

  Polish mathematician and academic (b. 1882)

• Oct. 22 Tommy Edwards

  American singer-songwriter (b. 1922)

• Oct. 24 Behçet Kemal Çağlar

  Turkish poet and politician (b. 1908)

• Oct. 24 Otto Jochum

  Composer dies at 71

• Oct. 25 Ellinor Aiki

  Estonian painter (b. 1893)

• Oct. 25 Rudolf Forster

  Actor (threepenny op, tonio krueger), dies aged 84

• Oct. 27 Jaime Pahissa

  Composer dies at 89

• Oct. 30 Pops Foster

  American musician (born 1892)

• Oct. 31 Hugo Pfister

  Komponist, who dies at 55