- Jan 9 John Hartley, English tennis player (Wimbledon 1879-80), born in Tong, Shropshire (d. 1935)
- Jan 11 Oskar Lassar, German dermatologist (electrophysical therapy, advocated for public bath houses), born in Hamburg (d. 1907)
- Jan 12 Jean Béraud, French Belle Époque painter, born in St. Petersburg, Russia (d. 1935)
- Jan 18 Edmund Barton, 1st Prime Minister of Australia (1901-03), born in Glebe, colony of New South Wales (d. 1920)
- Jan 22 August Strindberg 'Father of modern Swedish Literature', Swedish dramatist and novelist (Apologia), born in Stockholm, Sweden (d. 1912)