Dashed left edge = started before October 1942 ·
Dashed right edge = ongoing beyond October 1942
Events in October 1942 7
1942First successful V-2 rocket launchGerman A4 rocket reaches the edge of spaceAn A4 rocket, later known as the V-2, was launched from Peenemünde and flew about 190 km. It reached an altitude of roughly 85 km, higher than any human-made object before it. The rocket was later used as a weapon against London and Antwerp.
1942 – 2026Christopher A. Sims (1942-2026)Died 14 March 2026, aged 83American economist who shared the 2011 Nobel Prize for Economics for his research on how macroeconomic indicators interact with economic shocks.
1942 – 2013Annette Funicello (1942-2013)Died 8 April 2013, aged 70Annette Funicello was an American actress and singer who rose to fame as one of the original Mouseketeers on The Mickey Mouse Club and later starred in a series of beach-party films. She died from complications of multiple sclerosis, with which she had lived for over two decades.
1942 – 2008Michael Crichton (1942-2008)Died 4 November 2008, aged 66American author and filmmaker best known for the novel Jurassic Park and for creating the television series ER. His technology-driven thrillers sold hundreds of millions of copies worldwide.
1942Second Battle of El AlameinMontgomery defeats Rommel in North AfricaThe Second Battle of El Alamein, fought October 23 to November 11, 1942, was a decisive British victory over Rommel's Afrika Korps. Churchill said: "This is not the end. It is not even the beginning of the end. But it is the end of the beginning."
1942Second Battle of El AlameinMontgomery defeats Rommel in EgyptThe British Eighth Army under Bernard Montgomery attacked the German-Italian army at El Alamein and broke through after twelve days of fighting. Rommel's forces retreated across Libya. It was the first major British land victory over Germany in the war.
1942 – 2014Bob Hoskins (1942-2014)Died 29 April 2014, aged 71Bob Hoskins, the English actor known for "Who Framed Roger Rabbit" and "The Long Good Friday," died in a hospital in England from pneumonia. He had retired from acting the previous year after being diagnosed with Parkinson's disease. He was noted for his gritty, versatile screen presence.