- Jan 1 Britain's Midlands Railway abolishes second class travel, ending the practice of carrying third class passengers in open air wagons [1]
- Jan 5 Charles Garnier's new Opera opens in Paris
- Jan 5 President Grant sends federal troops to Vicksburg, Mississippi
- Jan 12 Kwang-su becomes Emperor of China
Music History
Jan 24 Camille Saint-Saëns' orchestral tone poem "Danse Macabre" premieres
Authors
Dictators
Explorers
Outlaws
Queens
Spies