On This Day

What Happened in January 1851

Historical Events

  • Jan 1 City of Glasgow steamer inaugurates Philadelphia-Liverpool line
  • Jan 15 General Mariano Arista replaces Mexican President José Joaquín de Herrera
  • Jan 28 Northwestern University (Chicago) chartered
  • Jan 31 San Francisco Orphan's Asylum founded, 1st in California

Famous Birthdays

  • Jan 9 Giuseppi Gallignani, composer
  • Jan 14 Théophile de Bock, Dutch painter, born in The Hague, Netherlands (d. 1904)
  • Jan 17 A. B. Frost, American illustrator (d. 1928)
  • Jan 19 David Starr Jordan, NY, biologist/university pres (Leland Stanford)
  • Jan 19 Johannes C Kapteyn, Dutch astronomer
  • Jan 25 Arne Garborg, Norwegian writer & playwright (Bondestudentar), born in Jæren, Norway (d. 1924)
  • Jan 25 Jan Blockx, Belgian opera composer (Sea Bride, Princess of Herberg), born in Antwerp, Belgium (d. 1912)
  • Jan 27 Rafael Obligado, Argentina, writer (Santos Vega)

Famous Deaths

  • Jan 10 Karl Freiherr von Müffling, Prussian field marshal, dies at 75
  • Jan 12 Johan Herman Koekkoek, painter, dies at 72
  • Jan 19 Esteban Echeverría, Argentine writer (b. 1805)
  • Jan 21 Gustav Albert Lortzing, composer, dies at 49
  • Jan 24 Gaspare Luigi Pacifico Spontini, Italian composer, dies at 76

Person of interestJohn James Audubon

Jan 27 John James Audubon, American ornithologist,painter (The Birds Of America), dies at 65

Ornithologist John James Audubon
Ornithologist
John James Audubon
  • Jan 27 Karl Moser, German composer, dies at 77

What Happened in 1851

Search the world's largest, most accurate site for today in history.