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Events on Tuesday 21 October 1969 2
1922 – 1969Jack Kerouac (1922-1969)Died 21 October 1969, aged 47Jack Kerouac was an American novelist and a leading figure of the Beat Generation, best known for his novel On the Road. He died of an abdominal hemorrhage linked to years of heavy drinking on 21 October 1969.
1969Willy Brandt Becomes Chancellor of West GermanyBrandt forms a coalition government and launches OstpolitikWilly Brandt was elected Chancellor of West Germany on 21 October 1969, forming a coalition between his Social Democrats and the Free Democrats. He went on to pursue Ostpolitik, a policy of reconciliation with East Germany and the Soviet bloc.