| 120391 | October 21 | Birth | 1931 – Vivian Pickles, English actress |
| 120392 | October 21 | Birth | 1931 – Hugh Thomas, English historian and author |
| 120393 | October 21 | Birth | 1932 – Pál Csernai, Hungarian footballer and manager (d. 2013) |
| 120394 | October 21 | Birth | 1933 – Maureen Duffy, English author, poet, and playwright |
| 120395 | October 21 | Birth | 1935 – Derek Bell, Irish harp player, pianist, and songwriter (The Chieftains) (d. 2002) |
| 120396 | October 21 | Birth | 1937 – Said Afandi al-Chirkawi, Russian spiritual leader and scholar (d. 2012) |
| 120397 | October 21 | Birth | 1937 – Hank Nelson, Australian historian and academic (d. 2012) |
| 120398 | October 21 | Birth | 1938 – Carl Brewer, Canadian ice hockey player (d. 2001) |
| 120399 | October 21 | Birth | 1940 – Geoffrey Boycott, English cricketer and sportscaster |
| 120400 | October 21 | Birth | 1940 – Frances FitzGerald, American journalist and author |
| 120401 | October 21 | Birth | 1940 – Rhoda Gemignani, American actress |
| 120402 | October 21 | Birth | 1940 – Manfred Mann, South African-English keyboard player and producer (Manfred Mann, Manfred Mann's Earth Band, and Manfred Mann Chapter Three) |
| 120403 | October 21 | Birth | 1940 – Marita Petersen, Faroese educator and politician, Prime Minister of the Faroe Islands (d. 2001) |
| 120404 | October 21 | Birth | 1941 – Steve Cropper, American guitarist, songwriter, producer, and actor (Booker T. & the M.G.'s, The Mar-Keys, and The Blues Brothers) |
| 120405 | October 21 | Birth | 1942 – Elvin Bishop, American singer-songwriter and guitarist |
| 120406 | October 21 | Birth | 1942 – Allan Grice, Australian race car driver and politician |
| 120407 | October 21 | Birth | 1942 – Lou Lamoriello, American ice hockey player, coach, and manager |
| 120408 | October 21 | Birth | 1942 – Judith Sheindlin, American judge and television host |
| 120409 | October 21 | Birth | 1942 – Christopher A. Sims, American economist and statistician, Nobel Prize laureate |
| 120410 | October 21 | Birth | 1942 – John Stevens, Baron Stevens of Kirkwhelpington, English police officer and academic |
| 120411 | October 21 | Birth | 1943 – Tariq Ali, Pakistani historian and author |
| 120412 | October 21 | Birth | 1944 – Ene Mihkelson, Estonian author and poet |
| 120413 | October 21 | Birth | 1944 – Mandy Rice-Davies, English model and actress (d. 2014) |
| 120414 | October 21 | Birth | 1944 – Michael Tugendhat, English lawyer and judge |
| 120415 | October 21 | Birth | 1945 – Everett McGill, American actor |
| 120416 | October 21 | Birth | 1945 – Michael White, English journalist |
| 120417 | October 21 | Birth | 1946 – Jane Heal, English philosopher and academic |
| 120418 | October 21 | Birth | 1946 – Jim Hill, American football player and sportscaster |
| 120419 | October 21 | Birth | 1946 – Lux Interior, American singer-songwriter (The Cramps) (d. 2009) |
| 120420 | October 21 | Birth | 1946 – Lee Loughnane, American singer-songwriter and trumpet player (Chicago) |