Famous People Who Died on October 18

Discover the most famous people who died on October 18. The list includes people like Thomas Edison, Charles Babbage, Santiago Ramón y Cajal, Antonio Meucci, Charles Gounod. Famous personalities featured on this list, include political leaders, mathematicians, philosophers and inventors and from other domains of life. This list includes people from United States, Germany, Spain & United Kingdom and many more countries.

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 1 

Thomas Edison

(Inventor of Phonograph, Motion Picture Camera and Early Version of the Electric Light Bulb)

Birthdate: February 11, 1847

Sun Sign: Aquarius

Birthplace: Milan, Ohio, United States

Died: 1931

Described as America’s greatest inventor, Thomas Edison’s legacy is an everlasting one. He was the first to help make the incandescent light bulb commercially viable, even though he was not the first inventor of it. Quadruplex telegraph, phonograph, motion picture camera and the alkaline storage battery are some the many innovations that made him a worldwide phenomenon and an icon.

Birthdate: April 5, 1937

Sun Sign: Aries

Birthplace: Harlem, New York, United States

Died: 2021

A veteran politician who served as the 65th United States Secretary of State, Colin Powell was the first African-American Secretary of State. A member of the Republican Party, he was an army man prior to entering politics. He was a  four-star general at the time of his retirement. After leaving politics, he pursued a career as a public speaker.

Birthdate: December 26, 1791

Sun Sign: Capricorn

Birthplace: London, England

Died: 1871

Charles Babbage, or the “father of the computer,” invented the prototype of the world’s first mechanical calculator, the Difference Engine. With the help of mathematician Ada Lovelace, he also created the Analytical Engine, the first general-purpose computer and a precursor of the modern computer, with its looping and sequential mechanism.

 4 

Gwen Verdon

(Actress and Dancer Known for Her Work in the Musicals: ‘Damn Yankees’, ‘Sweet Charity’, and ‘Chicago’)

Birthdate: January 13, 1925

Sun Sign: Capricorn

Birthplace: Culver City, California, United States

Died: 2000

Four-time Tony-winning actor Gwen Verdon is remembered for her SAG-nominated performance in Marvin’s Room. She was known for her signature red hair and her love for cats. She was nominated for Emmys for the series Magnum, P.I., Dream On, and Homicide: Life on the Street. She inspired the series Fosse/Verdon.

 5 

Julie London

(Singer, Actress)

Birthdate: September 26, 1926

Sun Sign: Libra

Birthplace: Santa Rosa, California, United States

Died: 2000

Birthdate: November 5, 1957

Sun Sign: Scorpio

Birthplace: Englewood, New Jersey, United States

Died: 1984

Height: 6'1" (185 cm)

Birthdate: September 25, 1942

Sun Sign: Libra

Birthplace: Newark, New Jersey, United States

Died: 2008

Dee Dee Warwick was a soul singer whose career was largely marred by drug addiction. However, she found success later in her career, recording songs for Private Stock Records and RCA Records. In 1999, she was honored by the Rhythm and Blues Foundation with a Pioneer Award. Warwick is also remembered for being one of the first openly gay singers.

Birthdate: November 28, 1489

Sun Sign: Sagittarius

Birthplace: Westminster Palace, London, Middlesex, Kingdom of England

Died: 1541

Margaret Tudor, daughter of King Henry VII of England, served as the Queen consort of Scotland, as wife of James IV, from 1503 to 1513. Following her husband’s death, she served as the regent till 1515. She was the great-grandmother of Scottish king James VI, or James I of England.

 9 

Henry Travers

(Best Known for His Role as ‘Clarence Odbody’ in the Film ‘It's a Wonderful Life’)

Birthdate: March 5, 1874

Sun Sign: Pisces

Birthplace: Prudhoe, Northumberland, England

Died: 1965

Travers John Heagerty, better known as Henry Travers, is best remembered as Clarence Odbody from It's a Wonderful Life. He had started his career as a stage actor and appeared frequently on Broadway. He won an Academy Award for Mrs. Miniver and was known for playing friendly old men.

 10 

Elizabeth Arden

(Canadian-American Businesswoman)

Birthdate: December 31, 1878

Sun Sign: Capricorn

Birthplace: Woodbridge, Ontario, Canada

Died: 1966

Birthdate: February 18, 1862

Sun Sign: Aquarius

Birthplace: Williamsburg, Pennsylvania, United States

Died: 1939

Birthdate: April 13, 1808

Sun Sign: Aries

Birthplace: Florence

Died: 1889

Italian inventor Antonio Meucci was born into poverty and had to work part-time as a gate-keeper to support his studies. While working as a stage technician, he invented a pipe telephone. He later invented an electromagnetic telephone-like device, credited by many as the world’s first telephone. 

 13 

Claudine Auger

(Actress best known for her role as a Bond girl, Dominique)

Birthdate: April 26, 1941

Sun Sign: Taurus

Birthplace: Paris, France

Died: 2019

Height: 5'8" (173 cm)

 14 

Henry John Temple, 3rd Viscount Palmerston

(Politician)

Birthdate: October 20, 1784

Sun Sign: Libra

Birthplace: Westminster, Middlesex, England

Died: 1865

Birthdate: May 1, 1852

Sun Sign: Taurus

Birthplace: Petilla de Aragón, Navarre, Spain

Died: 1934

While he apprenticed as a cobbler and a barber in childhood, Santiago Ramón y Cajal later took up medicine inspired by his father, a professor of anatomy. Cajal’s study of the microscopic structure of the human brain later formed the basis of neuroscience and earned him a Nobel Prize.

 16 

Bess Truman

(Former First Lady of the United States)

Birthdate: February 13, 1885

Sun Sign: Aquarius

Birthplace: Independence, Missouri, United States

Died: 1982

Birthdate: June 27, 1938

Sun Sign: Cancer

Birthplace: Paddington

Died: 2007

Alan Coren was an English satirist, writer, and humorist best remembered for his association with the popular quiz show The News Quiz, which was aired on the BBC radio. A multi-talented personality, Coren also worked as a journalist and served as the editor of Punch magazine for almost a decade.

 18 

Charles Gounod

(French Composer Best Known for His Operas: ‘Faust’ and ‘Roméo et Juliette’)

Birthdate: June 17, 1818

Sun Sign: Gemini

Birthplace: Paris, France

Died: 1893

Charles Gounod was a French composer. Prolific in his career, he wrote 12 operas and a large number of songs and church music pieces including his Ave Maria and Funeral March of a Marionette.  During the Franco-Prussian War, he fled to England, disrupting his career. He later returned to France and regained his position as a respected musical figure.

 19 

Alfred Binet

(Psychologist, Educationist)

Birthdate: July 8, 1857

Sun Sign: Cancer

Birthplace: Nice

Died: 1911

 20 

Kam Fong Chun

(Actor, Police officer)

Birthdate: May 27, 1918

Sun Sign: Gemini

Birthplace: Kalihi - Palama, Hawaii, United States

Died: 2002

Height: 6'2" (188 cm)

 21 

José Ortega y Gasset

(Spanish Philosopher and Essayist)

Birthdate: May 9, 1883

Sun Sign: Taurus

Birthplace: Madrid, Spain

Died: 1955

Philosopher and humanist José Ortega y Gasset was a major figure of the 20th-century Spanish literary renaissance. Apart from introducing concepts such as ratiovitalism, he also believed in the philosophy "I am I and my circumstance." Invertebrate Spain and The Revolt of the Masses remain his best works.

 22 

Al Lettieri

(Actor)

Birthdate: February 24, 1928

Sun Sign: Pisces

Birthplace: New York, United States

Died: 1975

 23 

Timothy Conigrave

(Australian Actor, Activist and Author)

Birthdate: November 19, 1959

Sun Sign: Scorpio

Birthplace: Melbourne, Australia

Died: 1994

Australian actor Timothy Conigrave began his career performing on stage and later wrote plays such as The Blitz Kids. He is remembered for his United Nations Award for Non-Fiction award-winning memoir, Holding the Man, which documented his 15-year love affair with John Caleo. Conigrave later died of AIDS.

 24 

S.S. Kresge

(Businessman)

Birthdate: July 31, 1867

Sun Sign: Leo

Birthplace: Allentown, Pennsylvania, U.S.

Died: 1966

 25 

Nancy Dickerson

(American journalist)

Birthdate: January 19, 1927

Sun Sign: Capricorn

Birthplace: Wauwatosa, Wisconsin Wauwatosa, Wisconsin, United States

Died: 1997

 26 

Leo Strauss

(German-American Political Philosopher Known for His Work: ‘Persecution and the Art of Writing’ and ‘Thoughts on Machiavelli’)

Birthdate: September 20, 1899

Sun Sign: Virgo

Birthplace: Kirchhain, Germany

Died: 1973

Though he never received enough fame during his lifetime, political philosopher Leo Strauss made significant contributions to classical political theory. Apart from penning scholarly works such as On Tyranny and Natural Right and History, he had also served in World War I and taught political science. 

 27 

Mark V. Hurd

(Businessperson)

Birthdate: January 1, 1957

Sun Sign: Capricorn

Birthplace: Manhattan, New York, U.S.

Died: 2019

 28 

Ayub Bachchu

(Guitarist)

Birthdate: August 16, 1962

Sun Sign: Leo

Birthplace: Chattogram, Bangladesh

Died: 2018

Ayub Bachchu was a Bangladeshi singer, songwriter, guitarist, and composer. A rockstar, Bachchu is credited with founding one of the most popular and successful Bangladeshi bands of all time, Love Runs Blind. A pioneer of Bangladeshi Pop music, Bachchu is also counted among the greatest Bangladeshi singers of all time. In 2017, he received the Tele Cine Lifetime Achievement Award.

 29 

Phil Chess

(Record producer)

Birthdate: March 27, 1921

Sun Sign: Aries

Birthplace: Motol, Belarus

Died: 2016

 30 

Bill King

(Sports Announcer)

Birthdate: October 6, 1927

Sun Sign: Libra

Birthplace: Bloomington, Illinois, United States

Died: 2005

 31 

Hanns-Martin Schleyer

Birthdate: May 1, 1915

Sun Sign: Taurus

Birthplace: Offenburg

Died: 1977

 32 

Fasilides

(Emperor of Ethiopia (1632 - 1667))

Birthdate: 1603 AD

Birthplace: Shewa, Ethiopia

Died: 1667

Fasilides, also known as Alam Sagad, was a 17th-century emperor of Ethiopia who belonged to the Solomonic dynasty. As soon as he came to power, he dismissed Catholic missionaries and relied on Muslim rulers of the coastal regions to terminate all contact with the European powers.

 33 

Lee Tracy

(Actor)

Birthdate: April 14, 1898

Sun Sign: Aries

Birthplace: Atlanta, Georgia, United States

Died: 1968

Height: 5'10" (178 cm)

 34 

Francis P. Blair

(Journalist)

Birthdate: April 12, 1791

Sun Sign: Aries

Birthplace: Abingdon, Virginia, United States

Died: 1876

 35 

Nino Rešić

(Singer)

Birthdate: January 22, 1964

Sun Sign: Aquarius

Birthplace: Kozarska Dubica, Bosnia and Herzegovina

Died: 2007

 36 

Roberto Goizueta

(Businessman)

Birthdate: November 18, 1931

Sun Sign: Scorpio

Birthplace: Havana, Cuba

Died: 1997

 37 

Al-Suyūṭī

(Egyptian Sunni Ascetic Polymath)

Birthdate: October 3, 1445

Sun Sign: Libra

Birthplace: Cairo, Egypt

Died: 1505

 38 

Eamonn Campbell

(Musician)

Birthdate: November 29, 1946

Sun Sign: Sagittarius

Birthplace: Drogheda, County Louth, Ireland

Died: 2017

 39 

Nancy Spero

(Visual Artist)

Birthdate: August 24, 1926

Sun Sign: Virgo

Birthplace: Cleveland, Ohio, United States

Died: 2009

 40 

Lois Kibbee

(Actress, Screenwriter)

Birthdate: July 13, 1922

Sun Sign: Cancer

Birthplace: Wheeling, West Virginia, United States

Died: 1993

Height: 6'0" (183 cm)

 41 

Jacques-Victor Henry

(Prince)

Birthdate: March 3, 1804

Sun Sign: Pisces

Birthplace: First Empire of Haiti

Died: 1820

 42 

Isaac Jogues

(Missionary)

Birthdate: January 10, 1607

Sun Sign: Capricorn

Birthplace: Orléans, France

Died: 1646

 43 

Norman Corwin

(Writer)

Birthdate: May 3, 1910

Sun Sign: Taurus

Birthplace: Boston, Massachusetts, United States

Died: 2011

 44 

Philipp Franz von Siebold

(German Physician and Botanist Known for Pioneering Western Medicine in Japan)

Birthdate: February 17, 1796

Sun Sign: Aquarius

Birthplace: Würzburg, Germany

Died: 1866

German physician and botanist Philipp Franz von Siebold was considered a pioneer of Western medicine in Japan. His works include the iconic book Flora Japonica. He fathered a daughter with a Japanese courtesan, who grew up to be Kusumoto Ine, Japan’s first female doctor with knowledge in Western medicine.

 45 

Anna Russell

(Singer)

Birthdate: December 27, 1911

Sun Sign: Capricorn

Birthplace: London, England

Died: 2006

 46 

Viktor Ullmann

(Composer)

Birthdate: January 1, 1898

Sun Sign: Capricorn

Birthplace: Cieszyn, Poland

Died: 1944

 47 

Walt Kelly

(Comics artist, Character animator, Reporter, Poet, Journalist)

Birthdate: August 25, 1913

Sun Sign: Virgo

Birthplace: Philadelphia

Died: 1973

 48 

Jacob Jordaens

(Former Flemish Painter Known for His History Paintings, Genre Scenes and Portraits)

Birthdate: May 19, 1593

Sun Sign: Taurus

Birthplace: Antwerp, Belgium

Died: 1678

Flemish painter Jacob Jordaens was a major part of the Flemish Baroque movement. He is best remembered for his works such as Allegory of Fertility and known for his signature use of warm colors and scenes inspired by proverbs, mythology, allegories. He also designed many tapestries.

 49 

Xie Jin

(Chinese Film Director)

Birthdate: November 21, 1923

Sun Sign: Scorpio

Birthplace: Shangyu District, Shaoxing, China

Died: 2008

 50 

William James Crowe, Jr.

(Navy Admiral)

Birthdate: January 2, 1925

Sun Sign: Capricorn

Birthplace: La Grange, Kentucky, United States

Died: 2007