- Jan 7 James Morrison Hawes, American Brigadier General (Confederate Army), born in Lexington, Kentucky (d. 1889)
- Jan 8 Francisco González Bocanegra, Mexican poet, born in San Luis Potosi, Mexico (d. 1861)
- Jan 8 Per August Olander, Swedish composer, born in Linköping, Sweden (d. 1886)
- Jan 8 [William] Wilkie Collins, English writer (Woman in White), born in London (d. 1889)
- Jan 13 Ignacy Marceli Komorowski, Polish composer, born in Warsaw, Russian Poland (d. 1857)
- Jan 14 Vladimir Stasov, Russian art and music critic, born in Saint Petersburg, Russia (d. 1906)
- Jan 15 Marie Duplessis [Alphonsine Rose Plessis], French courtesan, born in Nonant-le-Pin, Normandy, France (d. 1847)
Stonewall Jackson (1824-1863)
Jan 21 Confederate general during the American Civil War, born in Clarksburg, Virginia
- Jan 22 Josef Leopold Zvonař, Czech organist and composer, born in Kublov, Bohemia (d. 1865)
- Jan 27 Jozef Israels, Dutch landscape painter, born in Groningen, Netherlands (d. 1911)
- Jan 29 Karl von Perfall, German composer and music director (Royal Bavarian Court and Residence Theater, 1868-92), born in Munich, Germany (d. 1907)
20-29
30-39
40-49
50-59
80-89
Over 90