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- Composer Charles-Camille Saint-Saëns was born.
- Russ Columbo recorded the song "Prisoner of Love," which became his best-known hit and a classic standard.
- Bill Monroe made his Grand Ole Opry debut.
- English musician, singer-songwriter and co-founder of The Beatles, John Winston Lennon, was born in Liverpool, England. In 1956 he formed the Quarrymen, which evolved into The Beatles in 1960, and his songwriting partnership with Paul McCartney became the most successful in history. He was shot and killed by Mark Chapman in New York on December 8, 1980, aged 40.
- Founding member and bassist of The Who, John Entwistle, also known as The Ox and Thunderfingers, was born in Chiswick, England. The Who scored the 1965 UK No. 2 single "My Generation" and more than 20 other UK Top 40 hits. Entwistle died on June 27, 2002, aged 57.
- American singer, songwriter, producer and musician Nona Hendryx was born in Trenton, New Jersey. She became known as a member of Labelle, who had the 1975 US No. 1 and UK No. 17 single "Lady Marmalade." In 1985 she wrote and recorded the Grammy-nominated song "Rock This House" with Keith Richards.
- American singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Jackson Browne was born in Heidelberg, Germany, as Clyde Jackson Browne. He wrote "These Days" as a 16-year-old, and the song became a minor hit for Nico in 1967. The Eagles had their first Billboard Top 40 hit with his co-written song "Take It Easy". Browne later scored hits including "Stay" and "Somebody's Baby".
- English songwriter, record producer and musician Rod Temperton was born in Cleethorpes, Lincolnshire. He was the keyboardist and main songwriter for Heatwave, writing "Always and Forever," "Boogie Nights" and "The Groove Line." He was later recruited by Quincy Jones to write songs for Michael Jackson, including "Thriller," "Off the Wall" and "Rock with You."
- Dennis Stratton, singer and guitarist with Iron Maiden, was born.
- British-American television personality, music manager and author Sharon Osbourne was born. She is the wife of Ozzy Osbourne and became known through MTV's "The Osbournes" before serving as a judge on "The X Factor" and "America's Got Talent."
- Elvis Presley played at the Eagle's Nest in Memphis, Tennessee, at 8:30 PM, with the Tiny Dixon Band and The Eagles also performing.
- English musician James Fearnley was born in Worsley, Lancashire. He played accordion, guitar and foot-operated snare drum with the Irish-British Celtic punk band The Pogues, who scored the 1987 UK No. 8 single "The Irish Rover."
- Elvis Presley began a weeklong tour with Johnny Cash, Wanda Jackson and Porter Wagoner at Cherry Springs Dance Hall in Cherryspring, Texas, performing at 8:00 PM.
- The J.P. Seeburg Corporation introduced its new Dual Music System jukebox, the first equipped to hold one hundred singles and two-song-per-side Extended Play discs.
- The Johnny Burnette Trio appeared on Ted Mack's Amateur Hour TV show. Johnny Burnette, Dorsey Burnette and Paul Burlison won three weeks in a row, earning a series of tour dates.
- Jamaican reggae musician Ini Kamoze was born Cecil Campbell in Saint Mary, Jamaica. He began his career in the early 1980s and rose to international prominence with the 1994 hit "Here Comes the Hotstepper", which topped the US Billboard Hot 100 and charts in Denmark and New Zealand and reached No. 4 in the UK.
- Jerry Lee Lewis's "Whole Lot of Shakin' Going On" peaked at No. 3 on the Billboard Hot 100. The record also topped the R&B and Country charts, was later ranked No. 61 on Rolling Stone's Greatest Songs of All Time and was added to the National Recording Registry in 2005.
- Scotty Moore and Bill Black performed at the Texas State Fair in Dallas, Texas, where four shows were presented daily from October 5 through October 20.
- Al Jourgensen, singer with Ministry and Revolting Cocks, was born.
- Eddie Cochran recorded the classic song "C'mon Everybody," which became a 1959 UK No. 6 single for Cochran and a 1979 hit for The Sex Pistols.
- Bobby Darin became the youngest performer to headline the Copa Room at the Sands Hotel in Las Vegas, at age 21, breaking Johnny Mathis' previous record of 23. He was touring in support of his hit "Mack the Knife," which was No. 1 in the US that week.
- Brenda Lee was hospitalized in Nashville, Tennessee, with a thyroid deficiency.
- One-hit wonder Jerry Keller reached No. 1 on the UK Singles Chart with "Here Comes Summer."
- Ken Brown left The Quarrymen after John Lennon, Paul McCartney and George Harrison decided he should not receive a share of the performance fee because he had missed a Casbah Coffee Club performance due to a heavy cold.
- Swiss musician Thomas Wydler was born. He is best known as the drummer of Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, whom he joined in 1985. He appeared on almost every Bad Seeds album, beginning with "Kicking Against the Pricks" in 1986.
- Singer-songwriter, guitarist and co-founder of the rock band BoDeans, Kurt Neumann, was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
- Ray Charles started a two-week run at No. 1 on the US singles chart with "Hit the Road Jack." The song reached No. 6 in the UK, also topped the charts in New Zealand and Sweden, and earned Charles a Grammy Award for Best Rhythm and Blues Recording. It became one of his signature songs and was ranked No. 387 on Rolling Stone's 2010 list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.
- The BBC banned Bobby "Boris" Pickett's "Monster Mash" because it was considered too morbid and tasteless. The ban lasted for more than a decade; after restrictions were relaxed, the single was reissued in the UK in 1973 and reached No. 3.
- The Rolling Stones, The Everly Brothers, Little Richard and Bo Diddley performed at the Gaumont in Wolverhampton, England.
- Bobby Darin began filming his eighth movie, That Funny Feeling, in Hollywood, starring alongside his wife Sandra Dee.
- Brian Epstein signed a contract to manage the New Christy Minstrels, whose members in subsequent years would include Kenny Rogers, Kim Carnes and Barry McGuire.
- Manfred Mann held the #1 position with "Do Wah Diddy Diddy." Martha & the Vandellas were at #2 with "Dancing In The Street," while Roy Orbison's "Oh Pretty Woman" was #3. The rest of the Top 10 included Gale Garnett, J. Frank Wilson & the Cavaliers, The Shangri-Las, Chad & Jeremy, Gene Pitney, The Beach Boys and Betty Everett & Jerry Butler.
- The Beach Boys recorded "Dance Dance Dance" at RCA Victor Studios in Los Angeles, with Glen Campbell playing guitar, including the lead guitar intro. The song became their twelfth US Top 40 hit, reaching No. 8; Campbell later toured with the band from December 1964 into early March 1965.
- The Beatles performed two shows at De Montfort Hall in Leicester, England.
- The Rolling Stones canceled their planned South African tour because of an anti-apartheid embargo imposed by the British Musicians' Union, which banned members from playing for segregated audiences. The band did not perform in South Africa until March 1995, after apartheid had ended.
- Elvis Presley's compilation album "Flaming Star And Summer Kisses" reached No. 11 in the UK.
- Elvis Presley's single "I'm Yours" reached No. 11 in the US.
- At home for the first time in seven months, Elvis Presley purchased a 1966 Oldsmobile Toronado and, three days later, a 1966 Harley-Davidson Electra Glide for $1,941.25 from Taylor Harley Davidson Sales. He rode the new motorcycle around the grounds of Graceland.
- The Beatles started a four-week run at No. 1 on the US singles chart with the Paul McCartney ballad "Yesterday," giving the group their tenth US No. 1. The song also topped the Billboard Hot 100 and Cashbox Best Sellers chart. It was recorded by McCartney with a string quartet and was not released as a UK single until 1976. "Yesterday" later won the Ivor Novello Award for Outstanding Song of 1965.
- The Miracles' "My Girl Has Gone" entered the US Hot 100. It went on to reach No. 14, becoming the group's 20th Pop chart entry.
- The Ohio State University Marching Band performed "Hang On Sloopy" for the first time during an American football game, which eventually led to the song becoming the official state song of Ohio in 1985.
- The Supremes made their first appearance on "The Ed Sullivan Show." Petula Clark also appeared on the program that night.
- Roger Williams remained at No. 1 on the Easy Listening chart with "Born Free."
- Simon and Garfunkel released the classic album Parsley, Sage, Rosemary & Thyme.
- The Beach Boys released "Good Vibrations," described by the source as the most expensive 45 ever produced.