About the day » Monday January 20, 1879Calender converter

• Aalt LANDMAN, Grafhorst
• Albert Johannes Wemmenhove, Slagharen, Hardenberg, Overijssel, Nederland († 1886)
• Lumsden, Alligator Pond, Manchester, Jamaica
• Agnes Morrissey, Cork, Ireland
• Akke van der Wolde, Meppel († 1895)
• Adrianus Adriaan van Loon, Steenbergen, Nederland († 1967)
• Aafje Kuiper, Den Helder, Noord-Holland, Nederland
• Abraham Cornelis Lijsen, Wageningen († 1952)
• * Quirinus Johannes van Selst, 's Hertogenbosch († 1962)
• Age de Jong, Oudega, Wijmbritseradeel, Workum, Friesland, Nederland († 1944)

• Albert Kornelis Kroon (81), Zuidvelde (Norg)
• Ale Tjerks (2) van der Veen (78), ,, Harkema-Opeinde, Achtkarspelen, Friesland, Netherlands
• Agenietje Snapper (63), nijkerk
• Alle Tjerks van der Veen (78), Harkema-Opeinde (nu: Harkema), Friesland, Nederland
• Adriana van der Schans (51), Rotterdam, Zuid-Holland, Nederland
• Alphonsus Bracke (1)
• Adrianus van Heijningen (48), 's-Gravenhage, Zuid-Holland, Nederland
• "Angenietje (Antje)" Snapper (62), Nijkerk
• Albert Kroon (81), Zuidvelde
• Adam Cornelisz Ooms (59), Kralingen(Rdm)

• 1870 » Guillaume Lekeu, Belgian pianist and composer († 1894)
• 1873 » Johannes V. Jensen, Danish author, poet, and playwright, Nobel Prize laureate († 1950)
• 1874 » Steve Bloomer, English footballer and coach († 1938)
• 1876 » Josef Hofmann, Polish-American pianist and composer († 1957)
• 1878 » Finlay Currie, Scottish-English actor († 1968)
• 1879 » Ruth St. Denis, American dancer and educator († 1968)
• 1880 » Walter W. Bacon, American accountant and politician, 60th Governor of Delaware († 1962)
• 1882 » Johnny Torrio, Italian-American mob boss († 1957)
• 1883 » Enoch L. Johnson, American mob boss († 1968)
• 1883 » Forrest Wilson, American journalist and author († 1942)

• 1848 » Christian VIII, Danish king (b. 1786)
• 1850 » Adam Oehlenschläger, Danish poet and playwright (b. 1779)
• 1852 » Ōnomatsu Midorinosuke, Japanese sumo wrestler, the 6th Yokozuna (b. 1794)
• 1873 » Basil Moreau, French priest, founded the Congregation of Holy Cross (b. 1799)
• 1875 » Jean-François Millet, French painter and educator (b. 1814)
• 1891 » Kalākaua, king of Hawaii (b. 1836)
• 1900 » John Ruskin, English painter and critic (b. 1819)
• 1901 » Zénobe Gramme, Belgian engineer, invented the Gramme machine (b. 1826)
• 1907 » Agnes Mary Clerke, Irish astronomer and author (b. 1842)
• 1908 » John Ordronaux, American surgeon and academic (b. 1830)

• 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.
• In The Netherlands , there was from August 20, 1879 to April 23, 1883 the cabinet Van Lijnden van Sandenburg, with Mr. C.Th. baron Van Lijnden van Sandenburg (conservatief-AR) as prime minister.
• The Netherlands had about 4.0 million citizens.
• February 15 » Women's rights: US President Rutherford B. Hayes signs a bill allowing female attorneys to argue cases before the Supreme Court of the United States.
• April 5 » Chile declares war on Bolivia and Peru, starting the War of the Pacific.
• April 23 » Fire burns down the second main building and dome of the University of Notre Dame, which prompts the construction of the third, and current, Main Building with its golden dome.
• July 4 » Anglo-Zulu War: The Zululand capital of Ulundi is captured by British troops and burned to the ground, ending the war and forcing King Cetshwayo to flee.
• September 3 » Siege of the British Residency in Kabul: British envoy Sir Louis Cavagnari and 72 men of the Guides are massacred by Afghan troops while defending the British Residency in Kabul. Their heroism and loyalty became famous and revered throughout the British Empire.
• December 28 » Tay Bridge disaster: The central part of the Tay Rail Bridge in Dundee, Scotland, United Kingdom collapses as a train passes over it, killing 75.

The temperature on January 20, 1879 was about -2.3 °C. The air pressure was 2 kgf/m² and came mainly from the east-southeast. The airpressure was 77 cm mercury. The atmospheric humidity was 83%.