About the day » Thursday January 23, 1879Calender converter

• Aaltje Breedveld, Rotterdam, Zuid-Holland, Nederland († 1962)
• Amy Leone Bloom, Page, Iowa, Verenigde Staten († 1974)
• Adriana Goedknegt, Vlaardingen, Zuid-Holland, Nederland († 1880)
• Gardenbroek, Schiedam († 1879)
• Alle Hendriks Ruiter, Gersloot (AEgwirden) († 1941)
• Aalbert Budding, Snelrewaard († 1956)
• Blokzijl, Noord, Hoogeveen, Drenthe, Netherlands († 1879)
• Ambrosius Guillielmus Verreydt, Herenthout, België († 1918)
• Anna Daalder, Den Helder († 1905)
• Adriana Geel, Roosendaal/Nispen († 1879)

• Aldert Oedzes Steensma (Stienstra) (83), Dokkum, Friesland, Nederland
• Adrianus Jacobus Brinkerink (78), Hellevoetsluis
• ? ? (63)
• Adrianus Marijnus Geers (0), Halsteren
• Agnes Maria Wilhelmina (Agje) Kessels (52), Wijchen
• Aaltje Veenstra (69), Wolvega, Friesland, Nederland
• Aldert Oedses Steensma (83), Dokkum, Friesland, Nederland
• Adriana Magtilda van Duijnhoven (57), Haarlemmerliede/Spaarnwoude
• Anna Noorman (0), Groningen
• Adriaan Walhout (0), Wolphaartsdijk, Nederland

• 1862 » David Hilbert, Russian-German mathematician and academic († 1943)
• 1862 » Frank Shuman, American inventor and engineer († 1918)
• 1872 » Jože Plečnik, Slovenian architect, designed Plečnik Parliament († 1957)
• 1872 » Paul Langevin, French physicist and academic († 1946)
• 1876 » Otto Diels, German chemist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate († 1954)
• 1878 » Rutland Boughton, English composer († 1960)
• 1880 » Antonio Díaz Soto y Gama, Mexican politician († 1967)
• 1889 » Claribel Kendall, American mathematician (d.1965)
• 1894 » Jyotirmoyee Devi, Indian author († 1988)
• 1896 » Alf Blair, Australian rugby league player and coach († 1944)

• 1837 » John Field, Irish pianist and composer (b. 1782)
• 1866 » Thomas Love Peacock, English author and poet (b. 1785)
• 1875 » Charles Kingsley English priest and author (b. 1819)
• 1883 » Gustave Doré, French engraver and illustrator (b. 1832)
• 1893 » José Zorrilla, Spanish poet and playwright (b. 1817)
• 1893 » Lucius Quintus Cincinnatus Lamar II, American lawyer and politician, 16th United States Secretary of the Interior (b. 1825)
• 1921 » Mykola Leontovych, Ukrainian composer and conductor (b. 1877)
• 1922 » Arthur Nikisch, Hungarian conductor and academic (b. 1855)
• 1922 » René Beeh, Alsatian painter and draughtsman (b. 1886)
• 1923 » Max Nordau, Austrian physician and author (b. 1849)

• 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.
• January 22 » The Battle of Rorke's Drift, also during the Anglo-Zulu War and just some 15km away from Isandlwana, results in a British victory.
• January 23 » Anglo-Zulu War: the Battle of Rorke's Drift ends.
• April 5 » Chile declares war on Bolivia and Peru, starting the War of the Pacific.
• June 1 » Napoléon Eugène, the last dynastic Bonaparte, is killed in the Anglo-Zulu War.
• 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.
• October 22 » Using a filament of carbonized thread, Thomas Edison tests the first practical electric incandescent light bulb (it lasts 13​⁄₂ hours before burning out).

The temperature on January 23, 1879 was about -4.3 °C. The air pressure was 10 kgf/m² and came mainly from the northeast. The airpressure was 76 cm mercury. The atmospheric humidity was 79%.