While most people’s favorite October holiday might be Halloween, there are plenty of other great reason’s to celebrate this month. On October 5th you can honor your favorite teachers because it is World Teacher Day. You can be grouchy, or try to cheer up a grouch, on October 15th which is National Grouch Day. How about having some sweet fun on National Candy Corn Day on October 30th.
There are so many fun reasons to celebrate, where will you begin? Before you browse this list, make sure you click on and download the calendar page here so you can right down all of the dates you want to remember. If you want even more printable calendar options, check out this collection of Printable October 2015 Calendars.
Month Long Observances in October
- Adopt-a-Shelter-Animal Month
- American Cheese Month
- American Pharmacist Month
- Bat Appreciation Month
- Breast Cancer Awareness Month
- Bullying Prevention Month
- Computer Learning Month
- Cookie Month
- Eat Better, Eat Together Month
- Energy Awareness Month
- Family History Month
- Global Diversity Awareness Month
- Head Start Awareness Month
- International Drum Month
- National Apple Month
- National Book Month
- National Clock Month
- National Cookbook Month
- National Dessert Month
- National Diabetes Month
- National Field Trip Month
- National Pizza Month
- National Popcorn Popping Month
- National Roller Skating Month
- National Stamp Collecting Month
- National Work and Family Month
- Photographer Appreciation Month
- Polish American History Month
- Rhubarb Month
- Sarcastic Month
Week Long Observances in October
- American Craft Week (October 1 – 16 in 2016)
- Character Counts! Week (October 19 – 25 in 2016)
- Customer Service Week (October 3 – 7 in 2016)
- Earth Science Week (October 9 – 15 in 2016)
- Fire Prevention Week (First full week of Oct)
- Free Speech Week (October 17 – 23 in 2016)
- International Magic Week (October 25 – 31 – it always ends on the 31st)
- National Metric Week (October 9 – 15 in 2016)
- National School Lunch Week (October 10 – 14 in 2016)
- Red Ribbon Week (October 23 – 31 in 2016)
- Teen Read Week (October 9 – 15 in 2016)
- World Space Week (October 4 – 10 in 2016)
October 1st
- Homemade Cookies Day
- International Day of Older Persons
- International Frugal Fun Day
First Saturday of October - World Card Making Day
First Saturday of October - World Vegetarian Day
October 2nd
- Name Your Car Day
- Peanuts Comic Strip’s Birthday
First Published In 1950. - World Farm Animals Day
October 3rd
- Captain Kangaroo Day
The show first aired on this day in 1955. - Child Health Day
First Monday in October. - Look at the Leaves Day
October 4th
- Improve Your Office Day
- National Golf Day
- National Taco Day
- Sputnik I Launched
The first space vehicle – launched in 1957.
October 5th
- Ray Kroc’s Birthday
Founder of McDonalds. Born in 1902. - Walk to School Day
First Wednesday of October. - World Teacher Day
October 6th
- Mad Hatter Day
- National Poetry Day
First Thursday of October - Thomas Edison Shows 1st Motion Picture
In 1889.
October 7th
- American Bandstand Premiered
In 1957. - National Diversity Day
First Friday of October - World Smile Day
First Friday of October - You Matter to Me Day
October 8th
- American Tag Day
- J. Frank Duryea’s Birthday
Born in 1869. His brother, Charles, and him built and operated the first automobile in the US. He also won America’s first automobile race. - National Costume Swap Day
Second Saturday of October - Universal Music Day
Second Saturday of October
October 9th
- First Two-Way Telephone Conversation
In 1876. - Leif Erikson Day
- Moldy Cheese Day
- The Count’s Birthday
Sesame Street Character. - World Post Day
October 10th
- Columbus Day
Second Monday in October. - Henry Cavendish’s Birthday
Born in England in 1731. - Indigenous People’s Day
Second Monday in October. - National Angel Food Cake Day
- Thanksgiving Day in Canada
Second Monday in October. - Tuxedo Day
October 11th
- Eleanor Roosevelt’s Birthday
Born in born 1884. - First Steam-Powered Ferryboat Begins Operation
Name the “Juliana”, began operation in 1811. - International Day of the Girl
- National Coming Out Day
October 12th
- Farmer’s Day
- Freethought Day
- National Fossil Day
Falls on the Wednesday of Earth Science Week.
October 13th
- English Language Day
- First Aerial Photo in US
Taken from a balloon in Boston in 1860. - Margaret Thatcher’s Birthday
Born in 1925. - World Sight Day
Second Thursday of October
October 14th
- Grover’s Birthday
Sesame Street Character. - National Dessert Day
- World Egg Day
Second Friday of October
October 15th
- I Love Lucy Day
Premeired in 1951. - National Grouch Day
- Sweetest Day
Third Saturday in October
October 16th
October 17th
- Black Poetry Day
Honoring the birthday of Jupiter Hammon. - National Pasta Day
October 18th
- Alaska Day
The anniversary of the transfer of the territory and the raising of the US. flag at Sitka on this day in 1867. - Little Orphan Annie’s Birthday
Comic strip character, in 1922. - National Chocolate Cupcake Day
- Puerto Rico Became U.S. Colony
In 1898.
October 19th
- Evaluate Your Life Day
- Star Spangled Banner First Sung
In 1814. - Thomas Edison Demonstrated Electric Light
Successfully in 1879.
October 20th
- Mickey Mantle’s Birthday
Born on this day in 1931 in Spavinaw, Oklahoma. - Monster Mash Day
On this day in 1962 the Monster mash, by Bobby “Boris” Picket and the Crypt Kickers, reached number 1 in the music charts and stayed there for 2 weeks!
October 21st
- Babbling Day
- Count Your Buttons Day
- Garbanzo Bean Day
- Guggenheim Museum Opens
The Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum of modern and contemporary art opened in New York City on October 21, 1959. - Reptile Awareness Day
October 22nd
- Make a Difference Day
Fourth Saturday in October - National Nut Day
- National Stuttering Awareness Day
October 23rd
- Canned Food Day
- Edison Pele’s Birthday
Brazilian soccer player, born in 1940. - Mother-in-Law’s Day
Fourth Sunday in October. - National Mole Day
October 24th
- National Bologna Day
- United Nations’ Day
October 25th
- International Artist Day
- National Denim Day
- Pablo Picasso’s Birthday
Born in Spain in 1881.
October 26th
- Hillary Rodham Clinton’s Birthday
Born in 1947. - International Red Cross Organized
In Geneva, Switzerland in 1863.
October 27th
- Navy Day
- Theodore Roosevelt’s Birthday
Born in 1858.
October 28th
- Plush Animal Lover’s Day
- Statue of Liberty’s Birthday
October 29th
- Hermit Day
- National Cat Day
- National Organization of Women Founded
In 1966.
October 30th
- Checklists Day
- John Adams’ Birthday
In 1735. - National Candy Corn Day
October 31st
- Halloween
- Juliette Gordon Low’s Birthday
Born in 1860, she was the woman who the started Girl Scouting in the United States in 1912. - National Caramel Apple Day
- National Knock Knock Jokes Day
I sure hope your family enjoys celebrating many of these special days this month. If you know of any other holidays that should be listed here, please feel free to share them!