- Feb 1 Eduard Adolf Strasburger, German botanist (discovered nucleus of plant cells divides during cell division), born in Warsaw, Russian Empire (d. 1912)
- Feb 1 Granville Stanley Hall, American pioneering psychologist, born in Ashfield, Massachusetts (d. 1924)
- Feb 2 Leander Schlegel, Dutch composer and pianist, born in Oegstgeest, Netherlands (d. 1913)
- Feb 17 Aaron Montgomery Ward, American retailer, founded mail-order business (Montgomery Ward), born in Chatham, New Jersey (d. 1913)
- Feb 18 Willem Maris, Dutch painter (Hague School), born in The Hague, Netherlands (d. 1910)
- Feb 20 Joshua Slocum, Canadian-American seaman and adventurer, born in Mount Hanley, Nova Scotia (d. 1909)
- Feb 20 Ludwig Boltzmann, Austrian physicist (thermodynamics), born in Vienna, Austria (d. 1906)
- Feb 21 Charles-Marie Widor, French organist (Saint-Sulpice, 1870-1933), composer (10 organ symphonies), and professor (American Conservatory at Fontainebleau, 1921-34), born in Lyon, France (d. 1937)
- Feb 22 Kazamierz Julian Kratzer, Polish composer, born in Krakow (d. 1890)