October 18

October 18 is the 291st day of the year (292nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. There are 74 days remaining until the end of the year.

Events

• 320 – Pappus of Alexandria, Greek philosopher, observes an eclipse of the sun and writes a commentary on The Great Astronomer (Almagest).
• 614 – King Chlothar II promulgates the Edict of Paris (Edictum Chlotacharii), a sort of Frankish Magna Carta that defend the rights of the Frankish nobles while it exclude Jews from all civil employment in the Frankish Kingdom.
• 629 – King Dagobert I is crowned King of the Franks.
• 1009 – The Church of the Holy Sepulchre, a Christian church in Jerusalem, is completely destroyed by the Fatimid caliph Al-Hakim bi-Amr Allah, who hacks the Church's foundations down to bedrock.
• 1016 – The Danes defeat the Saxons in the Battle of Assandun.
• 1081 – The Normans defeat the Byzantine Empire in the Battle of Dyrrhachium.
• 1210 – Pope Innocent III excommunicates German leader Otto IV.
• 1356 – Basel earthquake, the most significant historic seismological event north of the Alps, destroys the town of Basel, Switzerland.
• 1386 – Opening of the University of Heidelberg.
• 1540 – Spanish conquistador Hernando de Soto's forces destroy the fortified town of Mabila in present-day Alabama, killing Tuskaloosa.
• 1599 – Michael the Brave, Prince of Wallachia, defeats the Army of Andrew Bathory in the Battle of Şelimbăr, leading to the first recorded unification of the Romanian people.
• 1648 – Boston Shoemakers form first U.S. labor organization.
• 1748 – Signing of the Treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle ends the War of the Austrian Succession.
• 1775 – African-American poet Phillis Wheatley freed from slavery.
• 1775 – American Revolutionary War: The Burning of Falmouth (now Portland, Maine) prompts the Continental Congress to establish the Continental Navy.
• 1779 – American Revolutionary War: The Franco-American Siege of Savannah is lifted.
• 1797 – Treaty of Campo Formio is signed between France and Austria
• 1851 – Herman Melville's Moby-Dick is first published as The Whale by Richard Bentley of London.
• 1860 – The Second Opium War finally ends at the Convention of Peking with the ratification of the Treaty of Tientsin, an unequal treaty.
• 1867 – United States takes possession of Alaska after purchasing it from Russia for $7.2 million. Celebrated annually in the state as Alaska Day.
• 1898 – United States takes possession of Puerto Rico.
• 1912 – First Balkan War: Peter I of Serbia issues a declaration "To the Serbian People", as Serbia joins the war.
• 1914 – The Schoenstatt Movement is founded in Germany.
• 1921 – The Crimean Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic is formed as part of the RSFSR.
• 1922 – The British Broadcasting Company (later Corporation) is founded by a consortium, to establish a nationwide network of radio transmitters to provide a national broadcasting service.
• 1929 – The Judicial Committee of the Privy Council overrules the Supreme Court of Canada in Edwards v. Canada when it declares that women are considered "Persons" under Canadian law.
• 1944 – Soviet Union begins liberation of Czechoslovakia.
• 1945 – The USSR's nuclear program receives plans for the United States plutonium bomb from Klaus Fuchs at the Los Alamos National Laboratory.
• 1945 – A group of the Venezuelan Armed Forces, led by Mario Vargas, Marcos Pérez Jiménez and Carlos Delgado Chalbaud, stages a coup d'état against then president Isaías Medina Angarita, who is overthrown by the end of the day.
• 1945 – Argentine military officer and politician Juan Perón marries actress Eva Duarte.
• 1954 – Texas Instruments announces the first Transistor radio.
• 1964 – The 1964-1965 New York World's Fair closes for its first season after a six-month run.
• 1967 – The Soviet probe Venera 4 reaches Venus and becomes the first spacecraft to measure the atmosphere of another planet.
• 1968 – The U.S. Olympic Committee suspends Tommie Smith and John Carlos for giving a "black power" salute during a victory ceremony at the Mexico City games.
• 1977 – German Autumn: a set of events revolving around the kidnapping of Hanns-Martin Schleyer and the hijacking of a Lufthansa flight by the Red Army Faction (RAF) comes to an end when Schleyer is murdered and various RAF members allegedly commit suicide.
• 1991 – The Supreme Council of Azerbaijan adopts a declaration of independence from the Soviet Union.
• 2003 – Bolivian Gas War: President Gonzalo Sánchez de Lozada, is forced to resign and leave Bolivia.
• 2004 – Myanmar prime minister Khin Nyunt is ousted and placed under house arrest by the State Peace and Development Council on charges of corruption.
• 2007 – Karachi bombings: A suicide attack on a motorcade carrying former Pakistani Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto kills 139 and wounds 450 more. Bhutto herself is not injured.

Births

• 1127 – Emperor Go-Shirakawa of Japan (d. 1192)
• 1405 – Pope Pius II (d. 1464)
• 1517 – Manuel da Nóbrega, Portuguese-Brazilian priest and missionary (d. 1570)
• 1547 – Justus Lipsius, Belgian philologist (d. 1606)
• 1569 – Giambattista Marino, Italian poet (d. 1625)
• 1595 – Edward Winslow, English politician, 3rd Governor of Plymouth Colony (d. 1655)
• 1634 – Luca Giordano, Italian painter (d. 1705)
• 1653 – Abraham van Riebeeck, South African-Dutch politician, Governor-General of the Dutch East Indies (d. 1713)
• 1662 – Matthew Henry, English minister and scholar (d. 1714)
• 1663 – Prince Eugene of Savoy (d. 1736)
• 1668 – John George IV, Elector of Saxony (d. 1694)
• 1679 – Ann Putnam, Jr., American witness in the Salem witch trials (d. 1716)
• 1701 – Charles le Beau, French historian and author (d. 1778)
• 1706 – Baldassare Galuppi, Italian composer (d. 1785)
• 1741 – Pierre Choderlos de Laclos, French general and author (d. 1803)
• 1777 – Heinrich von Kleist, German author and poet (d. 1811)
• 1785 – Thomas Love Peacock, English author and poet (d. 1866)
• 1804 – Mongkut, Thai king (d. 1868)
• 1831 – Frederick III, German Emperor (d. 1888)
• 1836 – Frederick August Otto Schwarz, American businessman, founded FAO Schwarz (d. 1911)
• 1854 – Billy Murdoch, Australian cricketer (d. 1911)
• 1859 – Henri Bergson, French philosopher, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1941)
• 1862 – Mehmet Esat Bülkat, Ottoman general (d. 1952)
• 1865 – Arie de Jong, Dutch linguist and author (d. 1957)
• 1865 – Logan Pearsall Smith, American-English author and critic (d. 1946)
• 1868 – Ernst Didring, Swedish author (d. 1931)
• 1870 – D. T. Suzuki, Japanese author and scholar (d. 1966)
• 1872 – Mikhail Kuzmin, Russian poet and author (d. 1936)
• 1873 – Ivanoe Bonomi, Italian politician, 25th Prime Minister of Italy (d. 1951)
• 1878 – James Truslow Adams, American historian and author (d. 1949)
• 1880 – Ze'ev Jabotinsky, Ukrainian-Russian general, journalist, and theorist (d. 1940)
• 1882 – Lucien Petit-Breton, Argentinian-French cyclist (d. 1917)
• 1884 – Hugo Goetz, American swimmer (d. 1972)
• 1893 – George Ohsawa, Japanese philosopher (d. 1966)
• 1894 – H. L. Davis, American author and poet (d. 1960)
• 1894 – Tibor Déry, Hungarian author (d. 1977)
• 1897 – Isabel Briggs Myers, American theorist and author (d. 1980)
• 1898 – Lotte Lenya, Austrian-American singer and actress (d. 1981)
• 1902 – Miriam Hopkins, American actress and singer (d. 1972)
• 1902 – Pascual Jordan, German physicist (d. 1980)
• 1903 – Lina Radke, German runner (d. 1983)
• 1904 – A. J. Liebling, American journalist and author (d. 1963)
• 1904 – Haim Shirman, Ukrainian-Israeli scholar and academic (d. 1981)
• 1905 – Jan Gies, Dutch activist (d. 1993)
• 1905 – Félix Houphouët-Boigny, Ivorian politician, 1st President of Côte d'Ivoire (d. 1993)
• 1906 – James Brooks, American painter and educator (d. 1992)
• 1909 – Norberto Bobbio, Italian philosopher and theorist (d. 2004)
• 1914 – Raymond Lambert, Swiss mountaineer (d. 1997)
• 1915 – Victor Sen Yung, American actor (d. 1980)
• 1918 – Molly Geertsema, Dutch politician, Deputy Prime Minister of the Netherlands (d. 1991)
• 1918 – Konstantinos Mitsotakis, Greek lawyer and politician, 178th Prime Minister of Greece
• 1918 – Bobby Troup, American singer-songwriter, pianist, and actor (d. 1999)
• 1919 – Ric Nordman, Canadian captain and politician (d. 1996)
• 1919 – Anita O'Day, American singer (d. 2006)
• 1919 – Pierre Trudeau, Canadian lawyer, academic, and politician, 15th Prime Minister of Canada (d. 2000)
• 1919 – Camilla Williams, American soprano (d. 2012)
• 1920 – Melina Mercouri, Greek actress, singer, and politician (d. 1994)
• 1921 – Jesse Helms, American soldier, journalist, and politician (d. 2008)
• 1923 – Jessie Mae Hemphill, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (d. 2008)
• 1924 – Buddy MacMaster, Canadian singer-songwriter and fiddler
• 1925 – Ramiz Alia, Albanian politician, 1st President of Albania (d. 2011)
• 1926 – Chuck Berry, American singer-songwriter and guitarist
• 1926 – Klaus Kinski, German-American actor, director, and screenwriter (d. 1991)
• 1927 – Marv Rotblatt, American baseball player (d. 2013)
• 1927 – George C. Scott, American actor and director (d. 1999)
• 1928 – Keith Jackson, American sportscaster
• 1929 – Violeta Chamorro, Nicaraguan publisher and politician, President of Nicaragua
• 1929 – Hillard Elkins, American producer and manager (d. 2010)
• 1929 – Kees Fens, Dutch author and critic (d. 2008)
• 1930 – Esther Hautzig, American author (d. 2009)
• 1930 – Enrique Oltuski, Cuban politician (d. 2012)
• 1931 – Chris Albertson, Icelandic-American historian, journalist, and record producer
• 1931 – Ien Dales, Dutch politician, Dutch Minister of the Interior (d. 1994)
• 1932 – Vytautas Landsbergis, Lithuanian politician
• 1933 – Forrest Gregg, American football player and coach
• 1933 – Ludovico Scarfiotti, Italian racing driver (d. 1968)
• 1934 – Calvin Lockhart, Bahamian-American actor (d. 2007)
• 1934 – Inger Stevens, Swedish-American actress (d. 1970)
• 1934 – Chuck Swindoll, American pastor, author, and educator
• 1935 – Peter Boyle, American actor (d. 2006)
• 1938 – Dawn Wells, American model and actress, Miss Nevada 1959
• 1939 – Flavio Cotti, Swiss politician, 82nd President of the Swiss Confederation
• 1939 – Mike Ditka, American football player, coach, and sportscaster
• 1939 – Ted Boy Marino, Italian-Brazilian wrestler and actor (d. 2012)
• 1939 – Lee Harvey Oswald, American assassin of John F. Kennedy (d. 1963)
• 1940 – Cynthia Weil, American songwriter
• 1942 – Gianfranco Ravasi, Italian cardinal
• 1943 – Birthe Rønn Hornbech, Danish police officer and politician
• 1945 – Yıldo, Turkish footballer, volleyball player, and actor
• 1945 – Huell Howser, American television host (d. 2013)
• 1945 – Chris Shays, American politician
• 1946 – James Robert Baker, American author and screenwriter (d. 1997)
• 1946 – Frank Beamer, American football player and coach
• 1946 – Howard Shore, Canadian composer, conductor, and producer
• 1947 – Paul Chuckle, English comedian, actor, and screenwriter
• 1947 – Job Cohen, Dutch scholar and politician, Mayor of Amsterdam
• 1947 – Joe Morton, American actor and director
• 1947 – Laura Nyro, American singer-songwriter and pianist (d. 1997)
• 1948 – Hans Köchler, Austrian philosopher, author, and academic
• 1948 – Ntozake Shange, American author, poet, and playwright
• 1949 – Joe Egan, Scottish singer-songwriter (Stealers Wheel)
• 1949 – George Hendrick, American baseball player and coach
• 1949 – Gary Richrath, American guitarist, songwriter, and producer (REO Speedwagon)
• 1950 – Om Puri, Indian actor
• 1950 – Wendy Wasserstein, American playwright and author (d. 2006)
• 1950 – Sheila White, English actress and singer
• 1951 – Mike Antonovich, American ice hockey player and coach
• 1951 – Pam Dawber, American actress
• 1951 – Terry McMillan, American author
• 1951 – Nic Potter, English bass player and songwriter (Van der Graaf Generator and The Misunderstood) (d. 2013)
• 1952 – Patrick Morrow, Canadian mountaineer and photographer
• 1952 – Chuck Lorre, American director, producer, and screenwriter
• 1952 – Bao Ninh, Vietnamese soldier and author
• 1952 – Jerry Royster, American baseball player, coach, and manager
• 1953 – Loes Luca, Dutch actress and singer
• 1954 – Liz Burch, Australian actress
• 1954 – Arliss Howard, American actor, director, producer, and screenwriter
• 1955 – Jean-Pierre Hautier, Belgian television host (d. 2012)
• 1955 – Vanessa Briscoe Hay, American singer-songwriter and keyboard player (Pylon and Supercluster)
• 1955 – Timmy Mallett, English radio and television host
• 1955 – David Twohy, American director, producer, and screenwriter
• 1955 – Rita Verdonk, Dutch journalist and politician, Dutch Minister of Justice
• 1956 – Craig Bartlett, American animator, producer, screenwriter, and voice actor
• 1956 – Martina Navratilova, Czech-American tennis player and coach
• 1956 – Jim Talent, American lawyer and politician
• 1957 – Jon Lindstrom, American actor, director, producer, and screenwriter
• 1957 – Catherine Ringer, French singer-songwriter, dancer, and actress (Les Rita Mitsouko)
• 1958 – Corinne Bohrer, American actress
• 1958 – Thomas Hearns, American boxer
• 1958 – Kjell Samuelsson, Swedish ice hockey player and coach
• 1959 – Kirby Chambliss, American pilot
• 1959 – Tatyana Kolpakova, Kyrgyzstani long jumper
• 1959 – Milcho Manchevski, Macedonian-American director and screenwriter
• 1959 – John Nord, American wrestler
• 1959 – Chris Russo, American radio host
• 1960 – Erin Moran, American actress and singer
• 1960 – Jean-Claude Van Damme, Belgian martial artist, actor, and producer, and screenwriter
• 1961 – Wynton Marsalis, American trumpet player, composer, and educator
• 1961 – Rick Moody, American author
• 1962 – Min Ko Naing, Burmese activist
• 1962 – Vincent Spano, American actor, director, and producer
• 1964 – Dan Lilker, American singer-songwriter and bass player (Anthrax, Stormtroopers of Death, Nuclear Assault, Exit-13, and Brutal Truth)
• 1964 – Charles Stross, English author
• 1965 – Zakir Naik, Indian surgeon
• 1965 – Curtis Stigers, American singer-songwriter and guitarist
• 1966 – Dave Price, American journalist
• 1966 – Slavi Trifonov, Bulgarian actor and singer
• 1966 – Angela Visser, Dutch model and actress, Miss Universe 1989
• 1967 – Eric Stuart, American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and voice actor
• 1968 – Michael Stich, German tennis player
• 1969 – Volker Neumüller, German talent manager
• 1969 – Nelson Vivas, Argentinian footballer, coach, and manager
• 1970 – Doug Mirabelli, American baseball player and coach
• 1970 – Mike Starink, Dutch television host and actor
• 1971 – Koshalendraprasad Pande, Indian guru
• 1972 – Alex Tagliani, Canadian race car driver
• 1973 – Michalis Kapsis, Greek footballer
• 1973 – Rachel Nichols, American journalist
• 1973 – Brian Scolaro, American comedian, actor, and producer
• 1974 – Candy Lo, Hong Kong singer-songwriter and actress
• 1974 – Robbie Savage, Welsh footballer and sportscaster
• 1974 – Peter Svensson, Swedish guitarist and songwriter (The Cardigans)
• 1975 – Baby Bash, American rapper
• 1975 – Alex Cora, Puerto Rican-American baseball player and sportscaster
• 1976 – Zhou Xun, Chinese actress and singer
• 1977 – Gloc-9, Filipino rapper
• 1977 – Ryan Nelsen, New Zealand-American soccer player and coach
• 1977 – David Vuillemin, French motorcycle racer
• 1978 – Jyothika, Indian actress
• 1978 – Wesley Jonathan, American actor
• 1978 – Jaime Koeppe, Canadian model
• 1978 – Mike Tindall, English rugby player
• 1978 – Kenji Wu, Taiwanese singer-songwriter and actor
• 1979 – Ne-Yo, American singer-songwriter, producer, dancer, and actor
• 1979 – Jaroslav Drobný, Czech footballer
• 1979 – 'Ana Po'uhila, Tongan shot putter, hammer, and discus thrower
• 1980 – Josh Gracin, American soldier and singer
• 1980 – Rebecca Watson, American blogger
• 1981 – Tina Hergold, Slovenian tennis player
• 1981 – Greg Warren, American football player
• 1982 – Thierry Amiel, French singer-songwriter
• 1982 – Michael Dingsdag, Dutch footballer
• 1983 – Dante, Brazilian footballer
• 1984 – Robert Harting, German discus thrower
• 1984 – Freida Pinto, Indian actress and model
• 1984 – Esperanza Spalding, American singer-songwriter and bassist
• 1984 – Lindsey Vonn, American skier
• 1985 – Yoenis Céspedes, Cuban baseball player
• 1985 – Andrew Garcia, American singer-songwriter and guitarist
• 1986 – Wilma Elles, German actress
• 1987 – Zac Efron, American actor and singer
• 1987 – Freja Beha Erichsen, Danish model
• 1989 – Joy Lauren, American actress
• 1990 – Bristol Palin, American author
• 1990 – Carly Schroeder, American actress
• 1991 – Roly Bonevacia, Dutch footballer
• 1991 – Tyler Posey, American actor
• 1992 – John John Florence, American surfer

Deaths

• 325 – Emperor Ming of Jin (b. 299)
• 1035 – Sancho III of Navarre (b. 992)
• 1101 – Hugh I, Count of Vermandois (b. 1053)
• 1141 – Leopold, Duke of Bavaria (b. 1108)
• 1382 – James Butler, 2nd Earl of Ormond, Irish politician, Lord Justice of Ireland (b. 1331)
• 1417 – Pope Gregory XII (b. 1326)
• 1480 – Uhwudong, Korean dancer and poet (b. 1440)
• 1503 – Pope Pius III (b. 1439)
• 1541 – Margaret Tudor, English wife of James IV of Scotland (b. 1489)
• 1545 – John Taverner, English organist and composer (b. 1490)
• 1558 – Mary of Hungary (b. 1505)
• 1564 – Johannes Acronius Frisius, German physician and mathematician (b. 1520)
• 1570 – Manuel da Nóbrega, Portuguese-Brazilian priest and missionary (b. 1517)
• 1604 – Igram van Achelen, Dutch politician (b. 1528)
• 1646 – Isaac Jogues, French priest, missionary, and martyr (b. 1607)
• 1667 – Fasilides, Ethiopian emperor (b. 1603)
• 1678 – Jacob Jordaens, Flemish painter (b. 1593)
• 1739 – António José da Silva, Brazilian-Portuguese playwright (b. 1705)
• 1744 – Sarah Churchill, Duchess of Marlborough (b. 1660)
• 1770 – John Manners, Marquess of Granby, English general and politician, Lord Lieutenant of Derbyshire (b. 1721)
• 1775 – Christian August Crusius, German philosopher and theologian (b. 1715)
• 1817 – Etienne Nicolas Méhul, French composer (b. 1763)
• 1871 – Charles Babbage, English mathematician and engineer, invented the mechanical computer (b. 1791)
• 1865 – Henry John Temple, 3rd Viscount Palmerston, English politician, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom (b. 1784)
• 1886 – Philipp Franz von Siebold, German physician and botanist (b. 1796)
• 1889 – Antonio Meucci, Italian-American inventor (b. 1808)
• 1892 – William W. Chapman, American lawyer and politician (b. 1808)
• 1893 – Charles Gounod, French composer (b. 1818)
• 1911 – Alfred Binet, French psychologist (b. 1857)
• 1921 – Ludwig III of Bavaria (b. 1845)
• 1931 – Thomas Edison, American inventor and businessman, invented the light bulb and phonograph (b. 1847)
• 1932 – Ioannis Chrysafis, Greek gymnast (b. 1873)
• 1934 – Santiago Ramón y Cajal, Spanish pathologist, histologist, and neuroscientist, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1852)
• 1941 – Manuel Teixeira Gomes, Portuguese politician, 7th President of Portugal (b. 1860)
• 1942 – Mikhail Nesterov, Russian painter (b. 1862)
• 1948 – Walther von Brauchitsch, German field marshal (b. 1881)
• 1959 – Boughera El Ouafi, Algerian-French runner (b. 1898)
• 1961 – Tsuru Aoki, Japanese-American actress (b. 1892)
• 1965 – Henry Travers, English-American actor (b. 1874)
• 1965 – Lauri Törni, Finnish-American Special Forces officer (b. 1919)
• 1966 – Elizabeth Arden, Canadian-American businesswoman, founded Elizabeth Arden, Inc. (b. 1878)
• 1966 – S. S. Kresge, American businessman, founded Kmart (b. 1867)
• 1973 – Margaret Caroline Anderson, American publisher, founded The Little Review (b. 1886)
• 1973 – Walt Kelly, American illustrator and animator (b. 1913)
• 1973 – Leo Strauss, German-American philosopher (b. 1899)
• 1975 – Al Lettieri, American actor (b. 1928)
• 1976 – Viswanatha Satyanarayana, Indian poet and author (b. 1895)
• 1977 – Andreas Baader, German militant (b. 1943)
• 1977 – Gudrun Ensslin, German militant leader, founded the Red Army Faction (b. 1940)
• 1977 – Jan-Carl Raspe, Austrian-German militant (b. 1944)
• 1978 – Ramón Mercader, Spanish journalist, assassin of Leon Trotsky (b. 1914)
• 1980 – Edwin Way Teale, American photographer and author (b. 1899)
• 1982 – Dwain Esper, American director and producer (b. 1892)
• 1982 – Pierre Mendès France, French politician, 143rd Prime Minister of France (b. 1907)
• 1982 – John Robarts, Canadian lawyer and politician, 17th Premier of Ontario (b. 1917)
• 1982 – Bess Truman, American wife of Harry S. Truman, 40th First Lady of the United States (b. 1885)
• 1983 – Diego Abad de Santillán, Spanish economist and author (b. 1897)
• 1983 – Willie Jones, American baseball player (b. 1925)
• 1984 – Jon-Erik Hexum, American model and actor (b. 1957)
• 1984 – Henri Michaux, French painter and poet (b. 1899)
• 1987 – Adriaan Ditvoorst, Dutch director and screenwriter (b. 1940)
• 1988 – Frederick Ashton, Ecuadorian dancer and choreographer (b. 1904)
• 1998 – Alfred Praks, Estonian-Swedish wrestler (b. 1902)
• 2000 – Julie London, American singer and actress (b. 1926)
• 2000 – Gwen Verdon, American actress, singer, and dancer (b. 1925)
• 2002 – Roman Tam, Hong Kong singer and actor (Roman and the Four Steps) (b. 1950)
• 2003 – Preston Smith, American politician, 40th Governor of Texas (b. 1912)
• 2003 – Manuel Vázquez Montalbán, Spanish journalist, author, and critic (b. 1939)
• 2004 – Veerappan, Indian criminal and murderer (b. 1952)
• 2005 – John Hollis, English actor (b. 1931)
• 2005 – Johnny Haynes, English-Scottish footballer (b. 1934)
• 2005 – Bill King, American sportscaster (b. 1927)
• 2006 – Mario Francesco Pompedda, Italian cardinal (b. 1929)
• 2006 – Anna Russell, English-Canadian singer and actress (b. 1911)
• 2007 – Alan Coren, English journalist and author (b. 1938)
• 2007 – William J. Crowe, American admiral and diplomat, United States Ambassador to the United Kingdom (b. 1925)
• 2007 – Vincent DeDomenico, American businessman, founded the Napa Valley Wine Train (b. 1915)
• 2007 – Lucky Dube, South African singer-songwriter and keyboard player (b. 1964)
• 2008 – Dee Dee Warwick, American singer (b. 1945)
• 2009 – Adriaan Kortlandt, Dutch ethologist (b. 1918)
• 2010 – Marion Brown, American saxophonist and musicologist (b. 1931)
• 2012 – Brain Damage, American wrestler (b. 1977)
• 2012 – E. K. Fretwell, American academic (b. 1923)
• 2012 – Sylvia Kristel, Dutch model, actress, and singer (b. 1952)
• 2012 – Mihály Lukács, Hungarian politician (b. 1954)
• 2012 – Thomas Madigage, South African footballer and coach (b. 1970)
• 2012 – Slater Martin, American basketball player and coach (b. 1925)
• 2012 – George Mattos, American pole vaulter (b. 1929)
• 2012 – Albert Lee Ueltschi, American pilot and businessman, founded FlightSafety International (b. 1917)
• 2012 – David S. Ware, American saxophonist and composer (b. 1949)
• 2013 – Francisco Rafael Arellano Félix, Mexican drug lord (b. 1949)
• 2013 – Ravuri Bharadhwaja, Indian author, poet, and critic (b. 1927)
• 2013 – Mary Carver, American actress (b. 1924)
• 2013 – Felix Dexter, Caribbean-English comedian and actor (b. 1961)
• 2013 – Tom Foley, American lawyer and politician, 57th Speaker of the United States House of Representatives (b. 1929)
• 2013 – Roland Janes, American guitarist and producer (b. 1933)
• 2013 – Bum Phillips, American football player and coach (b. 1923)
• 2013 – Allan Stanley, Canadian ice hockey player and coach (b. 1926)
• 2013 – Bill Young, American sergeant and politician (b. 1930)

Holidays and observances

• Alaska Day (Alaska)
• Persons Day (Canada)
• Christian Feast Day:
  • Justus of Beauvais
  • Luke the Evangelist
  • October 18 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
• Necktie Day (Croatia)

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to October 18.

• BBC: On This Day
• On This Day in Canada
• The New York Times: On This Day