October 1 - The first black student, James Meredith, registers at the University of Mississippi, escorted by Federal Marshals. - Johnny Carson takes over as permanent host of NBC's Tonight Show, a post he would hold for 30 years.

October 5 - The French National Assembly censures the proposed referendum to sanction presidential elections by popular mandate; Prime Minister Georges Pompidou resigns, but President de Gaulle asks him to stay in office. - Dr. No, the first James Bond film, premieres in UK theaters. - The Beatles release their first single for EMI, Love Me Do.

October 8 - The German magazine Der Spiegel publishes an article about the Bundeswehr's poor preparedness; the Spiegel scandal erupts. - Algeria is accepted into the United Nations.

October 9 - Uganda becomes independent within the Commonwealth of Nations.

October 10 - The Sino-Indian War, a border dispute involving two of the world's largest nations (India and the People's Republic of China), begins.

October 11 - Second Vatican Council: Pope John XXIII convenes the first ecumenical council of the Roman Catholic Church in 92 years.

October 12 - The infamous Columbus Day Storm strikes the U.S. Pacific Northwest with wind gusts up to 170 mph (270 km/h); 46 are killed, 11 billion board feet (26 million m³) of timber is blown down, with $230 million U.S. in damages. - Jazz bassist/composer Charles Mingus presents a disastrous concert at Town Hall in New York City. It will gain a reputation as the worst moment of his career.

October 13 - Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? opens on Broadway.

October 14 - Cuban Missile Crisis begins: A U-2 flight over Cuba takes photos on Oct. 14 of Soviet nuclear weapons being installed. A stand-off then ensues for another 12 days after President Kennedy is told of the pictures, between the United States and the Soviet Union, threatening the world with nuclear war.

October 19 - Establishment of Thai Nguyen City, under Thai Nguyen, Vietnam

October 22 - In a televised address, U.S. President John F. Kennedy announces to the nation the existence of Soviet missiles in Cuba.

October 24 - Cuban Missile Crisis: First confrontation between US Navy and Soviet cargo vessel. The vessel changes course.

October 26 - Spiegel scandal: German police occupy Der Spiegel offices in Hamburg.

October 28 - Cuban Missile Crisis ends: Soviet Union leader Nikita Khrushchev announces that he has ordered the removal of Soviet missile bases in Cuba. In a secret deal between Kennedy and Khrushchev, Kennedy agrees to the withdrawal of U.S. missiles from Turkey. The fact that this deal is not made public makes it look like the Soviets have backed down. - A referendum in France favors the election of the president by universal suffrage.

October 31 - The UN General Assembly asks the United Kingdom to suspend enforcement of the new constitution in Southern Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe), but the constitution comes into effect on November 1. (source: Wikipedia)