About the day » Friday February 1, 1878Calender converter

• Andries ter Steege, Kampen, Overijssel, Nederland
• Aleida Frederika Willemina Valkenburg, Zaltbommel
• Agatha van Os, Vlaardingen († 1880)
• Anna Cornelia Vossen, Grathem
• Amelia Sophia Pharaildis Mathildis Dewulf, Klerken
• Allegonda Wagenaars, Sint-Michielsgestel, Noord-Brabant, Nederland († 1961)
• Adriana Hermana Coerman, Alblasserdam, Zuid-Holland, Netherlands († 1956)
• Aaltje Hoites, Zuidbroek († 1957)
• Aleida Wilhelmina van der Horst, Wijk bij Duurstede
• Anna Maria Hubertina Schaffhausen, Roermond († 1903)

• Anna Catharina Debor (30), Bilzen Markt
• Antonius Jonkman (1), Raalte
• Aaltje Kamminga (78), Assen, Drenthe, Nederland
• Arie de Pater (56), Vorden, Nederland
• Adrianus Theodorus Bosschaart (0), Maartensdijk, Utrecht, Nederland
• Alexander de Vrijer (1), Rotterdam
• Antoni Scheperman (74), Kring van Dorth
• Ate Jacobs Paesens (48), Nes
• Aaltje~Hiddes Koornstra (73), Wâldsein
• Aaltje Hiddes Korenstra (73), Wymbritseradeel

• 1872 » Clara Butt, English opera singer († 1936)
• 1872 » Jerome F. Donovan, American lawyer and politician († 1949)
• 1873 » John Barry, Irish soldier, Victoria Cross recipient († 1901)
• 1874 » Hugo von Hofmannsthal, Austrian author, poet, and playwright († 1929)
• 1878 » Alfréd Hajós, Hungarian swimmer and architect, designed the Grand Hotel Aranybika († 1955)
• 1878 » Milan Hodža, Slovak journalist and politician, 10th Prime Minister of Czechoslovakia († 1944)
• 1881 » Tip Snooke, South African cricketer († 1966)
• 1882 » Louis St. Laurent, Canadian lawyer and politician, 12th Prime Minister of Canada († 1973)
• 1884 » Bradbury Robinson, American football player and physician († 1949)
• 1884 » Yevgeny Zamyatin, Russian journalist and author († 1937)

• 1832 » Archibald Murphey, American judge and politician (b. 1777)
• 1851 » Mary Shelley, English novelist and playwright (b. 1797)
• 1871 » Alexander Serov, Russian composer and critic (b. 1820)
• 1893 » George Henry Sanderson, American lawyer and politician, 22nd Mayor of San Francisco (b. 1824)
• 1897 » Constantin von Ettingshausen, Austrian geologist and botanist (b. 1826)
• 1903 » Sir George Stokes, Anglo-Irish physicist, mathematician, and politician (b. 1819)
• 1907 » Léon Serpollet, French businessman (b. 1858)
• 1908 » Carlos I of Portugal (b. 1863)
• 1922 » William Desmond Taylor, American actor and director (b. 1872)
• 1924 » Maurice Prendergast, American painter (b. 1858)

• 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 November 3, 1877 to August 20, 1879 the cabinet Kappeijne van de Coppello, with Mr. J. Kappeijne van de Coppello (liberaal) as prime minister.
• The Netherlands had about 4.0 million citizens.
• January 4 » Russo-Turkish War (1877–78): Sofia is liberated from Ottoman rule and designated the capital of Liberated Bulgaria.
• February 21 » The first telephone directory is issued in New Haven, Connecticut.
• March 24 » The British frigate HMSEurydice sinks, killing more than 300.
• June 4 » Cyprus Convention: The Ottoman Empire cedes Cyprus to the United Kingdom but retains nominal title.
• September 3 » Over 640 die when the crowded pleasure boat Princess Alice collides with the Bywell Castle in the River Thames.
• November 17 » First assassination attempt against Umberto I of Italy by anarchist Giovanni Passannante, who was armed with a dagger. The King survived with a slight wound in an arm. Prime Minister Benedetto Cairoli blocked the aggressor, receiving an injury in a leg.

The temperature on February 1, 1878 was about 3.5 °C. There was 0.5 mm of rain. The air pressure was 1 kgf/m² and came mainly from the north-northwest. The airpressure was 77 cm mercury. The atmospheric humidity was 97%.