Dashed left edge = started before October 2023 ·
Dashed right edge = ongoing beyond October 2023
Events in October 2023 16
1932 – 2023Piper Laurie (1932-2023)Died 14 October 2023, aged 91American actress three times nominated for an Academy Award, for The Hustler, Carrie and Children of a Lesser God.
1932 – 2023Piper Laurie (1932-2023)American actress with Oscar nominations for The Hustler, Carrie and Children of a Lesser God.
1937 – 2023Martti AhtisaariNobel Peace LaureateThe 10th President and a global diplomat who mediated conflicts in Aceh, Kosovo, and Namibia.
1937 – 2023Bobby CharltonEnglish FootballerEnglish footballer widely regarded as one of the greatest players in the history of the game. A survivor of the 1958 Munich air disaster, he spent his entire club career at Manchester United, scoring 249 goals in 758 appearances. He won the Ballon d'Or in 1966, the same year he helped England win the World Cup. He was knighted in 1994 and became a director of Manchester United.
1939 – 2023Rudolph Isley (1939-2023)Died 11 October 2023, aged 84American singer and founder member of the Isley Brothers.
1942 – 2023Richard Roundtree (1942-2023)Died 24 October 2023, aged 81American actor whose John Shaft made him the first African American action hero to headline a major film.
1945 – 2023Terence Davies (1945-2023)Died 7 October 2023, aged 77British director whose Distant Voices, Still Lives and The Long Day Closes turned Liverpool memory into cinema.
1955 – 2023Li Keqiang (1955-2023)Died 27 October 2023, aged 68Chinese politician who served as premier from 2013 to 2023, the country's second-ranking leader for a decade.
1969 – 2023Matthew Perry (1969-2023)Died 28 October 2023, aged 54American actor whose Chandler Bing on Friends made him one of the most recognisable television performers of the 1990s.
2023Azerbaijan retakes Nagorno-KarabakhA one-day offensive ends three decades of Armenian controlAzerbaijan launched an offensive in Nagorno-Karabakh on 19 September 2023 and secured the surrender of Armenian forces within a day. Almost the entire ethnic Armenian population, over 100,000 people, left within a fortnight.
2023Hamas attacks Israel1,200 killed in deadliest day for Jews since HolocaustHamas launched a surprise attack on southern Israel on October 7, 2023, killing 1,200 people and taking 253 hostages. It was the deadliest day for Jewish people since the Holocaust.
2023Star Trek: Lower Decks — Season 4Lower Decks continues its run as one of the most affectionately regarded shows in the franchise, balancing comedy and genuine emotional weight with increasing sophistication.
2023Piper Laurie dies in Los AngelesPiper Laurie dies aged 91.
2023Hackney DiamondsTwenty-fourth album — October 20, 2023Hackney Diamonds was released on October 20, 2023 — their first album of original material in 18 years and first without Charlie Watts. It debuted at number 1 in the UK and featured Paul McCartney, Lady Gaga and Elton John as guests. It includes the final recordings Charlie Watts made with the band.
2023DeathDied at the age of 86. He had been diagnosed with dementia in 2020. Tributes poured in from across the football world, with many describing him as the greatest English footballer of all time.
2023South Africa win a record fourth Rugby World CupA one-point final against New ZealandSouth Africa beat New Zealand 12-11 on 28 October 2023 to win a record fourth Rugby World Cup, having won each knockout match by a single point.