Historical Events
- Jan 5 Central America proclaims annexation to Mexican Empire
- Jan 7 1st printing in Hawaii of a ceremonial broadside for King Kamehameha II by Elisha Loomis
- Jan 7 Free American Blacks establish a settlement on Providence Island, off the coast of West Africa; later becomes the city of Monrovia, Liberia
- Jan 7 Liberia colonized by the American Colonization Society
- Jan 13 The design of the Greek flag is adopted by the First National Assembly at Epidaurus
- Jan 14 Greek War of Independence: Acrocorinth is captured by Theodoros Kolokotronis and Demetrius Ypsilanti
- Jan 15 Greek War of Independence: Demetrius Ypsilanti is elected president of the legislative assembly.
Famous Birthdays
- Jan 2 Rudolf Clausius, German physicist (one of the founders of the study of thermodynamics), born in Köslin Prussia (d. 1888)
- Jan 4 Joseph Jones Reynolds, American engineer, educator, and Major General (Union Army), born in Flemingsburg, Kentucky (d. 1899)
- Jan 5 Joseph Brevard Kershaw, Major General (Confederate Army), born in Camden, South Carolina (d. 1894)
Heinrich Schliemann (1822-1890)
Jan 6 German archaeologist who rediscovered Troy, born in Neubukow, Mecklenburg-Schwerin, German Confederation
- Jan 7 Theodor Aufrecht, German linguist, Indologist, and translator (Rigveda's Hymns), born in Leschnitz, Prussian Silesia (d. 1907)
- Jan 8 Alfredo Carlo Piatti, Italian composer, born in Bergamo, Kingdom of Lombardy–Venetia. Austrian Empire (d. 1901)
- Jan 9 John Porter Hatch, volunteers Bvt Major General (Union), (d. 1901)
- Jan 12 Étienne Lenoir, French engineer (d. 1900)
- Jan 27 Thomas Leiper Kane, American Brevet Major General (Union Army), born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (d. 1883)
Alexander Mackenzie (1822-1892)
Jan 28 2nd Prime Minister of Canada (Liberal: 1873-78), born in Logierait, Scotland
- Jan 30 Franz Ritter von Hauer, Austrian geologist, born in Vienna, Austria (d. 1899)
- Jan 30 John Basil Turchin [Ivan Vasyliovych Turchin], Russian-American Brigadier General (Union Army), born in Don Host Oblast, Russian Empire (d. 1901)
Famous Deaths
- Jan 14 Franz Innocenz Joseph Kobell, German landscape painter, dies at 72
Baseball Players
Basketball Stars
Boxers
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Tennis Champions