Historical Events
Brooklyn Bridge Opens
Jan 3 Construction begins on New York's Brooklyn Bridge; completed May 24, 1883
"Liebeslieder Walzer"
Jan 5 Johannes Brahms' collection of lovesongs, "Liebeslieder Walzer" premieres
Standard Oil Formed
Jan 10 Standard Oil Company created by John D. Rockefeller (30%), his brother and other business partners. Then controlled about 10% of world oil.
Democratic Party Symbol
Jan 15 Donkey first used as symbol of Democratic Party, in Harper's Weekly
Revels Elected Senator
Jan 20 Hiram R. Revels elected to fill unexpired term of Albert Brown as US Senator from Mississippi
- Jan 23 Marias Massacre: Approximately 200 Piegan Blackfeet Indians (mostly women, children, and elderly men) killed by US Army, in Montana Territory, spawning outrage and preventing the military from regaining control of the Bureau of Indian Affairs [1] [2]
- Jan 25 Soda fountain patented by Gustavus Dows
- Jan 26 US Congress authorises Virginia to rejoin the union
- Jan 27 1st sorority (Kappa Alpha Theta) (DePauw U in Greencastle, Indiana)
- Jan 27 After accepting 15th amendment, Virginia is readmitted to the Union
- Jan 27 Manitoba & Northwest Territories incorporated
Famous Birthdays
- Jan 2 Ernst Barlach, German writer and artist, born in Wedel (d. 1938)
- Jan 2 Tex Rickard, American boxing promoter and entrepreneur (founder NHL New York Rangers; builder third incarnation of Madison Square Garden, NYC), born in Kansas City, Missouri (d. 1929)
- Jan 3 Henry Eichheim, American composer (Bali -Symphonic Variations), born in Chicago, Illinois (d. 1942)
- Jan 3 Henry Handel Richardson [Ethel Florence Lindesay Richardson], Australian novelist (Richard Mahoney), born in East Melbourne, Australia (d. 1946)
- Jan 4 Percy Pitt, English composer (BBC), born in London, England (d. 1932)
- Jan 6 Gustav Bauer, Chancellor of Germany, born in Ozyorsk, Russia (d. 1944)
- Jan 7 Gordon Hewart, British judge "Not only must Justice be done; it must also be seen to be done" (Lord Chief Justice 1922-40), born in Bury, England (d. 1943)
Miguel Primo de Rivera (1870-1930)
Jan 8 Spanish dictator, Prime Minister of Spain (1923-30) and military officer, born in Jerez de la Frontera, Spain
- Jan 9 Joseph Strauss, American civil engineer (chief engineer of the Golden Gate Bridge), born in Cincinnati, Ohio (d. 1938)
- Jan 11 Alexander Stirling Calder, American sculptor (d. 1945)
- Jan 12 Karel Burian (also Carl Burrian), Czech operatic tenor, born in Rousínov, Moravia, Austrian Empire (d. 1924)
- Jan 13 Henryk Opieński, Polish violinist, conductor, choral director, composer (Zygmunt August and Barbara), and musicologist (Moniuszko), born in Kraków, Russian Poland (d. 1942)
- Jan 13 Ross Granville Harrison, American biologist, born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (d. 1959)
- Jan 14 Sir George Pearce, Australian politician, born in Mount Barker, Australia (d. 1952)
- Jan 15 Johan Peter Koch, Danish captain and explorer (Greenland), born in Vestenskov, Denmark (d. 1928)
- Jan 15 Pierre S. du Pont, American businessman, born in Wilmington, Delaware (d. 1954)
- Jan 16 Jimmy Collins, American Baseball HOF 3rd baseman (World Series 1903 Boston Americans; NL HR leader 1898 Boston Beaneaters) and manager (Boston Americans 1901–06), born in Niagara Falls, NY (d. 1943)
- Jan 16 Wilhelm Normann, German chemist (hydrogenated liquid fat creating trans fat), born in Petershagen Germany (d. 1939)
- Jan 16 Willie Simms, American jockey (US Champion Jockey by wins 1893, 94; Kentucky Derby 1896, 98; Preakness Stakes 1898; Belmont Stakes 1893, 94), born in Augusta, Georgia (d. 1927)
- Jan 20 Guillaume Lekeu, Belgian composer (Épithalame), born in Heusy, Belguim (d. 1894)
- Jan 22 Charles Arnold Tournemire, French organist and composer, born in Bordeaux, France (d. 1939)
- Jan 23 William Morgan, American physical education instructor and inventor of "mintonette" (now known as volleyball), born in Lockport, New York (d. 1942)
Famous Weddings
Wyatt Earp
Jan 10 American lawman Wyatt Earp (21) weds Urilla Sutherland (20) in Lamar, Missouri, until her death in August of the same year
Famous Deaths
- Jan 3 Konstantin Ushinsky, Russian educationalist (credited as the founder of scientific pedagogy in Russia), dies at 46
- Jan 7 Carl Schwencke, German pianist and composer, dies at 72
- Jan 11 Adolf Ganz, German composer and violinist, dies at 73
- Jan 17 Alexander Anderson, American engraver and illustrator (Shakespeare), dies at 94
- Jan 21 Alexander Herzen, Russian writer (b. 1812)
- Jan 26 Cesare Pugni, Italian composer, dies at 67
- Jan 26 Victor de Broglie, 3rd Duke of Broglie, 14th Prime Minister of France (1835-36), dies at 84
- Jan 29 Leopold II, Grand Duke of Tuscany, dies at 72
