What Is an October Surprise?

References & Edit History Related Topics

Images

A blindfolded and bound hostage is escorted by four men outside the U.S. Embassy in Tehran during the Iran hostage crisis, November 9, 1979.

Portrait of Warren G. Harding, 29th president of the United States, wearing a suit and bow tie, looking directly at the camera.

U.S. President Jimmy Carter speaks at a White House press conference about the Iran hostage crisis in 1979, gesturing with both hands raised behind a podium with the presidential seal.

Hand holding a phone displaying a 2016 Washington Post article titled "Trump recorded having extremely lewd conversation about women in 2005," with a photo of Donald Trump, Billy Bush, and a woman.

Joe Biden and Donald Trump stand at podiums on stage during the CNN Presidential Debate in June 2024, with a blue and red debate backdrop behind them.

What Is an October Surprise?: References & Edit History

Article Contributors

Primary Contributors

Tracy Grant
Tracy Grant is a senior editor at Encyclopaedia Britannica. She previously served as editor in chief, the first woman to hold that title.

Article History

Type	Description	Contributor	Date
	New article added.	Tracy Grant Tracy Grant	Jul 09, 2026