Famous people born on 17 October

• John Paul IPope of the Catholic Church in 1978 · 1912–1978
  65 yrs
• Arthur MillerAmerican playwright and essayist · 1915–2005
  89 yrs
• Rita HayworthAmerican actress · 1918–1987
  68 yrs
• Claude Henri de Rouvroy, comte de Saint-SimonFrench early socialist theorist · 1760–1825
  64 yrs
• Montgomery CliftAmerican actor · 1920–1966
  45 yrs
• Zhao Ziyang ↗Former General Secretary of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) · 1919–2005
  85 yrs
• Marsha Hunt ↗American actress · 1917–2022
  104 yrs
• George Wendt ↗American actor · 1948–2025
  76 yrs
• Syed Ahmed Khan ↗Indian Muslim reformer and social activist · 1817–1898
  80 yrs
• Margot Kidder ↗Canadian and American actress and activist · 1948–2018
  69 yrs
• Augustus III of Poland ↗King of Poland, Elector of Saxony · 1696–1763
  66 yrs
• Bill Anders ↗American astronaut and lunar explorer · 1933–2024
  90 yrs
• Richard Mentor Johnson ↗Vice president of the United States from 1837 to 1841 · 1780–1850
  70 yrs
• Jean Arthur ↗American actress · 1900–1991
  90 yrs
• Norm Macdonald ↗Canadian comedian · 1959–2021
  61 yrs
• Warren Christopher ↗U.S. Secretary of State · 1925–2011
  85 yrs
• Andrei Grechko ↗Soviet marshal · 1903–1976
  72 yrs
• Julie Adams ↗American actress · 1926–2019
  92 yrs
• Robert Jordan ↗American fantasy writer · 1948–2007
  58 yrs
• A. S. Neill ↗Scottish educator and theorist · 1883–1973
  89 yrs
• Andy Whitfield ↗Welsh actor · 1971–2011
  39 yrs
• Miguel Delibes ↗Spanish writer · 1920–2010
  89 yrs
• Theodor Eicke ↗German SS general, commander of concentration camp Dachau and inspector of the concentration camps · 1892–1943
  50 yrs
• Emanuel Geibel ↗German poet and playwright · 1815–1884
  68 yrs
• Grand Duchess Maria Alexandrovna of Russia ↗Duchess consort of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha (1853–1920); sixth child and second daughter of Alexander II of Russia and Maria Alexandrovna (Marie of Hesse) · 1853–1920
  67 yrs
• William Laud ↗Archbishop of Canterbury · 1573–1645
  71 yrs
• Balthasar Charles ↗Prince of Asturias; · 1629–1646
  16 yrs
• Ferenc Deák ↗Hungarian politician · 1803–1876
  72 yrs
• Jerry Siegel ↗American co-creator of Superman · 1914–1996
  81 yrs
• John Bowring ↗4th Governor of Hong Kong; hymnwriter; translator · 1792–1872
  80 yrs

Only people with a known day of birth are listed, and only people who have died. Dates are from Wikidata (CC0), last updated 22 October 2026.

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