About the day » Wednesday January 17, 1872Calender converter

• Adriaan Moelker, Wemeldinge
• Anna Krämer, Simmern Wiesheim, Germany († 1929)
• Alida Frederika Averink, Ambt Almelo, in het Windmolenbroek († 1872)
• Adriana Cornelia Van Dongen, Oud en Nieuw Gastel († 1877)
• Alida Frederika Averink, Almelo († 1872)
• Adriana van Dongen, Oud en Nieuw Gastel
• Adriana Boekraad, Montfoort († 1902)
• Adriana Hendrica VROOMEN, Woensel/Eindhoven (NL/NB) († 1944)
• Aartje de Kock, Herwijnen († 1872)
• Anna Josephine Stenten, Kleve, Noordrijn-Westfalen, Duitsland († 1930)

• Aaltje Martens LOOTSMA (34), Stavoren
• Anna Maria van Kooten (63), Sloten
• Anna Maria Bueters (51), Berghem, Noord-Brabant, Nederland
• Anna Maria Bueters (51), Berghem, Limburg, Nederland
• Ardina van Son (9), Vlijmen, Noord-Brabant, Nederland
• Anna Catherina Kunz (55), Delft
• van Veenendaal (0), Amerongen
• Andries Wiegersma (79), Dantumadeel
• Aaltje Martens Lootsma (34), Stavoren
• Hendrikje Wetering (73), Den Ham

• 1865 » Sir Charles Fergusson, 7th Baronet, English general and politician, 3rd Governor-General of New Zealand († 1951)
• 1867 » Carl Laemmle, German-born American film producer, co-founded Universal Studios († 1939)
• 1867 » Sir Alfred Rawlinson, 3rd Baronet, English colonel, pilot, and polo player († 1934)
• 1871 » David Beatty, 1st Earl Beatty, English admiral († 1936)
• 1871 » Nicolae Iorga, Romanian historian and politician, 34th Prime Minister of Romania († 1940)
• 1875 » Florencio Sánchez, Uruguayan journalist and playwright († 1910)
• 1876 » Frank Hague, American lawyer and politician, 30th Mayor of Jersey City († 1956)
• 1877 » Marie Zdeňka Baborová-Čiháková, Czech botanist and zoologist († 1937)
• 1877 » May Gibbs, English-Australian author and illustrator († 1969)
• 1880 » Mack Sennett, Canadian-American actor, director, and producer († 1960)

• 1861 » Lola Montez, Irish actress and dancer (b. 1821)
• 1863 » Horace Vernet, French painter (b. 1789)
• 1869 » Alexander Dargomyzhsky, Russian composer (b. 1813)
• 1878 » Edward Shepherd Creasy, English historian and jurist (b. 1812)
• 1884 » Hermann Schlegel, German ornithologist and herpetologist (b. 1804)
• 1887 » William Giblin, Australian lawyer and politician, 13th Premier of Tasmania (b. 1840)
• 1888 » Big Bear, Canadian tribal chief (b. 1825)
• 1891 » George Bancroft, American historian and politician, 17th United States Secretary of the Navy (b. 1800)
• 1893 » Rutherford B. Hayes, American general, lawyer, and politician, 19th President of the United States (b. 1822)
• 1903 » Ignaz Wechselmann, Hungarian architect and philanthropist (b. 1828)

• Koning Willem III (Huis van Oranje-Nassau) was from 1849 till 1890 sovereign of the Netherlands (also known as Koninkrijk der Nederlanden)
• In The Netherlands , there was from January 4, 1871 to July 6, 1872 the cabinet Thorbecke III, with Mr. J.R. Thorbecke (liberaal) as prime minister.
• From July 6, 1872 till August 27, 1874 the Netherlands had a cabinet De Vries - Fransen van de Putte with the prime ministers Mr. G. de Vries Azn. (liberaal) and I.D. Fransen van de Putte (liberaal).
• The Netherlands had about 4.0 million citizens.
• March 5 » George Westinghouse patents the air brake.
• March 11 » Construction of the Seven Sisters Colliery, South Wales, begins; located on one of the richest coal sources in Britain.
• March 22 » Illinois becomes the first state to require gender equality in employment.
• November 29 » American Indian Wars: The Modoc War begins with the Battle of Lost River.
• November 30 » The first-ever international football match takes place at Hamilton Crescent, Glasgow, between Scotland and England.
• December 9 » In Louisiana, P. B. S. Pinchback becomes the first African-American governor of a U.S. state.

The temperature on January 17, 1872 was about 2.3 °C. There was 0.2 mm of rain. The air pressure was 20 kgf/m² and came mainly from the south-southeast. The atmospheric humidity was 85%.