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

  • Katharine Susannah Prichard
    Oct. 2 Katharine Susannah Prichard

    At 85, a novelist (black opal) dies

  • Skip James
    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.

  • Natalino Otto
    Oct. 4 Natalino Otto

    Italian singer (born 1912)

  • Walter Hagen
    Oct. 6 Walter Hagen

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

  • Otto Steinböck
    Oct. 6 Otto Steinböck

    Austrian zoologist (b. 1893)

  • Léon Scieur
    Oct. 7 Léon Scieur

    Belgian cyclist (d. 1969).

  • Eduardo Ciannelli
    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 …

  • Don Hoak
    Oct. 9 Don Hoak

    American baseball player (b. 1928)

  • Sonja Henie
    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.

  • Serge Poliakoff
    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.

  • Julius Saaristo
    Oct. 12 Julius Saaristo

    Finnish javelin thrower and soldier (d. 1969).

  • Rod[erique] La Rocque
    Oct. 15 Rod[erique] La Rocque

    Us western actor (mystery woman).

  • Shermake
    Oct. 15 Shermake

    President of (somalia), murdered

  • Gyula Mándi
    Oct. 18 Gyula Mándi

    Hungarian footballer and manager (b. 1899)

  • Lacey Hearn
    Oct. 19 Lacey Hearn

    American sprinter (d. 1969).

  • Jack Kerouac
    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.

  • Wacław Sierpiński
    Oct. 21 Wacław Sierpiński

    Polish mathematician and academic (b. 1882)

  • Tommy Edwards
    Oct. 22 Tommy Edwards

    American singer-songwriter (b. 1922)

  • Behçet Kemal Çağlar
    Oct. 24 Behçet Kemal Çağlar

    Turkish poet and politician (b. 1908)

  • Otto Jochum
    Oct. 24 Otto Jochum

    Composer dies at 71

  • Ellinor Aiki
    Oct. 25 Ellinor Aiki

    Estonian painter (b. 1893)

  • Rudolf Forster
    Oct. 25 Rudolf Forster

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

  • Jaime Pahissa
    Oct. 27 Jaime Pahissa

    Composer dies at 89

  • Pops Foster
    Oct. 30 Pops Foster

    American musician (born 1892)

  • Hugo Pfister
    Oct. 31 Hugo Pfister

    Komponist, who dies at 55