January 1858 in History

Events in History

  • Jan 1 Canada begins using decimal currency system
  • Jan 9 Anson Jones, the last President of the Republic of Texas, commits suicide

Assassination Attempt on Napoleon III

Jan 14 French Emperor Napoleon III escapes attempt on his life by Felice Orsini, an Italian patriot who was later executed

  • Jan 30 William Wells Brown published 1st Black drama, "Leap to Freedom"

Birthdays in History

  • Jan 5 Gustaf af Geijerstam, Swedish author (Boken om Lillebror), born in Hed socken (d. 1909)
  • Jan 7 Eliezer Ben-Yehuda, key figure in the revival of Hebrew as a spoken language (d. 1922)
  • Jan 10 Heinrich Zille, German illustrator and photographer, born in Radeburg, Germany (d. 1929)
  • Jan 11 Harry Gordon Selfridge, American retailer (d. 1947)
  • Jan 13 Oskar Minkowski, Biologist (d. 1931)
  • Jan 15 Giovanni Segantini, Italian painter, born in Arco, Italy (d. 1899)
  • Jan 17 Tomas Carrasquilla, Colombian author (Frutos de mi Tierra), born in Santo Domingo, Colombia (d. 1940)

Daniel Hale WilliamsDaniel Hale Williams (1858-1931)

Jan 18 American heart surgeon who performed the 1st open heart immunologist, born in Hollidaysburg, Pennsylvania

  • Jan 19 Eugene Brieux, French playwright (Blanchette, Lesson Avaries), born in Paris, France (d. 1932)
  • Jan 22 Beatrice Potter Webb, English sociologist, economist (founded London School of Economics) and writer (My Apprenticeship), born in Standish (d. 1943)
  • Jan 22 Frederick Lugard, British Colonial administrator, mercenary and explorer (Congo, Governor of Nigeria and Hong Kong), born in Madras, British India (d. 1945)
  • Jan 25 Kōkichi Mikimoto, Japanese inventor and entrepreneur (cultured pearls), born in Toba, Japan (d. 1954)

Weddings in History

Cyrus McCormick

Jan 26 Inventor Cyrus McCormick (48) weds Nancy Fowler

Deaths in History

  • Jan 3 Henry Darcy, French hydraulic engineer (Darcy's Law), dies at 54
  • Jan 5 Joseph Radetzky von Radetz, Czech field marshal, dies at 91
  • Jan 7 Willem Broes, Dutch vicar and theologist (Textenrol), dies at 91
  • Jan 9 Anson Jones, 5th and last President of Texas commits suicide at 59
  • Jan 27 Gerrit van der Linde "The Schoolmaster" Dutch poet, dies at 49
  • Jan 30 Coenraad Jacob Temminck, Dutch zoologist (b. 1778)