What Happened in January 1885

Historical Events

Jan 11 Henrik Ibsen's play "Vildauden," (The Wild Duck) premieres in Oslo

Jan 17 Battle of Abu Klea (Battle of Abu Tulayh), Sudan: British Desert Column defeat Mahdist forces: 76 British and 1,100 Mahdists killed
Jan 19 Battle of Abu Kru (Battle of Gubat), Sudan: British Desert Column defeat Mahdist forces: 121 British and untold Mahdists killed

Jan 25 Vincent d'Indy's symphonic poem "Saugefleurie" premieres with the Concerts Lamoureux in Paris

Jan 28 Commission for Auguste Rodin's sculpture 'The Burghers of Calais' signed by the Municipal Council of Calais.

Jan 1 Roland Diggle, English-American composer, organist and choirmaster (St. John's Episcopal Church of Los Angeles, California), born in London, England (d. 1954)
Jan 2 José Méndez, Cuban Baseball HOF pitcher (NgL World Series 1924; 3 × NgL NL pennants; Kansas City Monarchs), born in Cárdenas, Cuba (d. 1928)
Jan 5 Humbert Wolfe, Italian-born British poet, born in Milan, Italy (d. 1940)
Jan 8 A. J. Muste, Dutch pacifist and activist (d. 1967)

Jan 8 Victoria, 14th Prime Minister of Australia (Labor: 1941-45), born in Creswick, Colony of Victoria

Jan 11 American suffragist (National Woman's Party), born in Mount Laurel Township, New Jersey

Jan 11 Jack Hoxie, American actor and rodeo performer (The White Outlaw), born in Kingfisher Creek, Oklahoma (d. 1965)
Jan 13 Alfred Fuller, Canadian-American businessman ('Fuller Brush Man'), born in Welsford, Canada (d. 1973)
Jan 15 Grover Lowdermilk, American baseball player, born in Sandborn, Illinois (d. 1968)
Jan 15 Huang Yuanyong, Chinese writer, born in Jiujiang, China (d. 1915)
Jan 15 Lorenz Böhler, Austrian physician, born in Wolfurt, Austria (d. 1973)
Jan 16 Wladyslaw Raczkiewicz, Polish politician (President of Poland in-exile 1939-47), born in Kutaisi, Georgia, Russian Empire (d. 1947)
Jan 16 Zhou Zuoren, Chinese writer (d. 1967)
Jan 17 Emmy Hennings-Ball [Emma Cordsen], German poet and performer, born in Flensburg, German Empire (d. 1948)
Jan 17 Joseph Arendt, Belgian worker's union leader (d. 1952)
Jan 21 Umberto Nobile, Italian aviator and polar explorer (designed and flew 1st airship across the polar air cap), born in Lauro, Italy (d. 1978)
Jan 23 Boleslaw Wallek-Walewski, Polish composer and conductor, born in Lviv, Ukraine (d. 1944)
Jan 25 Else Mauhs [Alwine Julie Else Mauhs], German-Dutch actress (Eline Vere, L'aiglon), born in Mülheim an der Ruhr (d. 1959)
Jan 25 Kitahara Hakushū, Japanese poet and children's writers, born in Nankan, Japan (d. 1942)
Jan 27 Eduard Künneke, German conductor and theater composer, born in Emmerich, Germany (d. 1953)

Jan 27 American Broadway and film composer (Showboat; Roberta), born in New York City

Jan 27 Maeda Seison, Japanese painter (d. 1977)
Jan 30 John Henry Towers, American naval aviator, born in Rome, Georgia (d. 1955)

Jan 4 Iosif Kotek, Russian composer and violinist, dies at 29
Jan 6 Harishchandra, Indian poet, dramatist and commonly referred as "father of modern Hindi", dies at 34
Jan 6 Peter C Asbjornsen, Norwegian fairy tale writer, dies at 72
Jan 11 Rodolphe Bresdin, French cartoonist and lithographer (Le Bon Samaritain), dies at 60
Jan 13 Schuyler Colfax, American politician (17th US Vice President 1869-73), dies at 61
Jan 15 Levin Minn Powell, American Commander (Union Navy), dies at 81
Jan 16 Edmond François Valentin About, French writer (Le Roi des montagnes), dies at 56
Jan 19 Fred Burnaby, English colonel/balloon pioneer, dies in battle
Jan 24 Martin Delany, African-American abolitionist and physician (1st African American major in US Army), dies at 72
Jan 26 Charles George Gordon, British general (put down Taiping rebellion in China) and administrator (Governor-General of Sudan), killed during the fall of Khartoum at 51
Jan 26 Edward Davy, English-Australian inventor (electromagnetic repeater for relaying telegraphic signals), dies at 78