- Dec 5 Pedro II van Alcantara, Emperor of Brazil (1831-89), dies at 66
- Dec 6 Émile Bayard, French artist and illustrator, dies at 54
- Dec 11 Johan C. J. van Schagen, Dutch poet and writer (Narrenwijsheid), dies
- Dec 17 Msiri, ruler of the Garanganze Kingdom, Congo (Katanga), dies in battle against Belgian funded expedition
- Dec 17 Omer Bodson, Belgian captain, dies in battle against Msiri, ruler of Garanganze Kingdom in the Congo
- Dec 18 Eduard Hille, German composer and conductor, dies at 69
- Dec 23 Holger Simon Paulli, Danish conductor and composer, dies at 81
- Dec 28 Alfred Cellier, British conductor (Glibert and Sullivan) and composer (Dorothy), dies at 47
- Dec 29 Leopold Kronecker, German mathematician (Tensor of Kronecker), dies at 68
Assassination
Drug Overdose
Gunshot Wound
Murder
Plane Crash
Suicide