- Jan 3 Arthur Boon, Flemish priest/philologist, dies at 54
- Jan 8 Johnny Gruelle, American cartoonist, creator of Raggedy Ann and Andy (b. 1880)
- Jan 8 Christian Rohlfs, German painter and artist, dies at 88
- Jan 12 Gösta Ekman (senior), Swedish actor (b. 1890)
- Jan 16 Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyay, Indian Bengali novelist (Devdas), dies at 61
- Jan 17 William Pickering, American astronomer (predicted Pluto), dies at 79
- Jan 21 George Méliès, French early filmmaker (A Trip to the Moon), dies at 76
- Jan 26 Zitkála-Šá, [aka Gertrude Bonnin] Native American (Yankton Dakota) writer, violinist, librettist (The Sun Dance Opera), educator, and political activist, dies at 61
- Jan 28 Bernd Rosemeyer, German race car driver, dies at 28
- Jan 28 John Sharp, cricketer (England bat 1909, also soccer intl), dies