"I loved her against reason, against promise, against peace, against hope, against happiness, against all discouragement that could be." - Charles Dickens, from Great Expectations, ch. 29.
- Maria Anna of Savoy, Empress of Austria and Queen of Hungary and Bohemia, born in Palazzo Colonna, Rome, Papal States (d. 1884)
- Jimmy Van Alen, American tennis official (created Simplified Scoring System), born in Newport, Rhode Island (d. 1991)
- Lewis F. Powell Jr., American Supreme Court justice (1972-87), born in Suffolk, Virginia (d. 1998)
- Jacques Lusseyran, French author and resistance leader who was blind from age 7, born in Paris, France (d. 1971)
- Brook Benton [Benjamin Franklin Peay], American soul vocalist ("It's Just a Matter of Time"; "Rainy Night in Georgia"), born in Lugoff, South Carolina (d. 1988)
- Brian Epstein, English music entrepreneur and manager (Beatles), born in Liverpool, England (d. 1967)
- Abner Haynes, American football running back (AFL MVP 1960; First-team All-AFL 1960, 61, 62; Kansas City Chiefs), born in Denton, Texas (d. 2024)
- Jeremy Nunley, American NFL defensive tackle and defensive end (Houston Oilers), born in Winchester, Tennessee (d. 2018)
- Siege of Paris by Prussian forces begins (lasts until January 28, 1871)
- New Zealand becomes the first country to grant all women the right to vote
- Pius X encyclical Singular quadam, against interconfess unions
- Simon and Garfunkel reunite for a concert in Central Park, NYC,
- Banks in Lebanon close for three days after a series of hold-ups by people trying to obtain their own money, frozen amid the country's economic crisis
- Johann Georg Repsold, German scientific instrument maker, astronomer, and fireman, born in Wremen, Duchy of Bremen, Holy Roman Empire (now Germany) (d. 1830)
- Arthur Mullard, English actor, comedian and singer (Romany Jones), born in London (d. 1995)
- Helen Ward [Wiltschek], American jazz singer (Benny Goodman Orchestra, 1934-36; Bob Crosby; Harry James), born in New York City (d. 1998)
- Marshall Jefferson, American musician 'father of house music' (Move your Body), born in Chicago, Illinois
- Trae Young, American NBA player (Atlanta Hawks), born in Lubbock, Texas