About the day » Wednesday January 2, 1861Calender converter

• Ambrosius Cornelis Endhoven, Dinteloord en Prinsenland, Nederland († 1929)
• Bluekens Petrus, Baarle-Hertog, Noord-Brabant, Nederland
• Alexander Stewart (main) McFarlane, Dundonald,Ayr,Scotland
• Jacobus Lambertus Philipse, Tiel († 1938)
• Akke Katsma, Menaldumadeel, Friesland, Netherlands († 1944)
• Anna Helena Schwarte, Lohe, Freren
• Adrianus Cornelis VERNOOIJ, Wijk bij Duurstede, Utrecht, Nederland
• Stapelbroek († 1861)
• Anna Elisabeth Ketelslegers, Romershoven, Hoeselt, Limburg, België († 1861)
• Agatha Oostdam, Noordwijkerhout, Zuid-Holland, Nederland

• Adriana van Houten (0), Maasdriel
• Aaltje Pander (73), Nieuwleusen
• Alfred van der Mersch (7), Bas-Warneton, België
• Anna Margaretha Sophia Leuring (66), Texel
• Amelia Rosalia NACHTEGAELE (0), Knokke,8300,West Vlaanderen,BELGIE
• Aaltje Ent (41), Edam
• Adriaan de KOK (62), Tilburg,,Noord-Brabant, Nederland
• Anna Maria van Loon (31), Loon op Zand, Noord-Brabant, Nederland
• Adriaan Birings (77), Tilburg, Gemeente Tilburg
• -nn- Stapelbroek (0), Voorst, Voorst, Gelderland, The Netherlands

• 1857 » M. Carey Thomas, American educator and activist († 1935)
• 1860 » Dugald Campbell Patterson, Canadian engineer († 1931)
• 1860 » William Corless Mills, American historian and curator († 1928)
• 1866 » Gilbert Murray, Australian-English playwright and scholar († 1957)
• 1870 » Ernst Barlach, German sculptor and playwright († 1938)
• 1870 » Tex Rickard, American boxing promoter and businessman († 1929)
• 1873 » Antonie Pannekoek, Dutch astronomer and theorist († 1960)
• 1873 » Thérèse of Lisieux, French nun and saint († 1897)
• 1878 » Mannathu Padmanabha Pillai, Indian activist, founded the Nair Service Society († 1970)
• 1884 » Ben-Zion Dinur, Russian-Israeli historian and politician, 4th Israeli Minister of Education († 1973)

• 1850 » Manuel de la Peña y Peña, Mexican lawyer and 20th President (1847) (b. 1789)
• 1861 » Frederick William IV of Prussia (b. 1795)
• 1892 » George Biddell Airy, English mathematician and astronomer (b. 1801)
• 1904 » James Longstreet, American general and diplomat (b. 1821)
• 1913 » Léon Teisserenc de Bort, French meteorologist (b. 1855)
• 1915 » Karl Goldmark, Hungarian violinist and composer (b. 1830)
• 1917 » Léon Flameng, French cyclist (b. 1877)
• 1920 » Paul Adam, French author (b. 1862)
• 1924 » Sabine Baring-Gould, English author and scholar (b. 1834)
• 1939 » Roman Dmowski, Polish politician, Polish Minister of Foreign Affairs (b. 1864)

• Koning Willem III (Huis van Oranje-Nassau) was from 1849 till 1890 sovereign of the Netherlands (also known as Koninkrijk der Nederlanden)
• From February 23, 1860 till March 14, 1861 the Netherlands had a cabinet Van Hall - Van Heemstra with the prime ministers Mr. F.A. baron Van Hall (conservatief-liberaal) and Mr. S. baron Van Heemstra (liberaal).
• From March 14, 1861 till January 31, 1862 the Netherlands had a cabinet Van Zuijlen van Nijevelt - Loudon with the prime ministers Mr. J.P.P. baron Van Zuijlen van Nijevelt (conservatief-liberaal) and Mr. J. Loudon (liberaal).
• The Netherlands had about 3.6 million citizens.
• January 21 » American Civil War: Jefferson Davis resigns from the United States Senate.
• January 29 » Kansas is admitted as the 34th U.S. state.
• February 1 » American Civil War: Texas secedes from the United States.
• August 10 » American Civil War: Battle of Wilson's Creek: A mixed force of Confederate, Missouri State Guard, and Arkansas State troops defeat outnumbered attacking Union forces in the southwestern part of the state.
• October 17 » Aborigines kill Nineteen Europeans in the Cullin-la-ringo massacre.
• November 1 » American Civil War: U.S. President Abraham Lincoln appoints George B. McClellan as the commander of the Union Army, replacing General Winfield Scott.

The temperature on January 2, 1861 was about -9.2 °C. The air pressure was 0.5 kgf/m² and came mainly from the north-northeast. The airpressure was 77 cm mercury. The atmospheric humidity was 97%.