Most commentators consider Marcel Mauss ( 1872 – 1950 ), nephew of the influential sociologist Émile Durkheim, to be the founder of the French anthropological tradition.

Born in Stockholm, Alfred Nobel was the fourth son of Immanuel Nobel ( 1801 – 1872 ), an inventor and engineer, and Andriette Ahlsell Nobel ( 1805 – 1889 ).

* 1872 – Archduke Joseph August of Austria, Austrian field marshal ( d. 1962 )

* 1790 – William Wentworth, Australian explorer and politician ( d. 1872 )

* 1872 – Richard Willstätter, German chemist, Nobel Prize Laureate ( d. 1942 )

* 1872 – George E. Stewart, American soldier, Medal of Honor recipient ( d. 1946 )

* 1872 – Frederick Maurice, English theologian ( b. 1805 )

* 1872 – William Frederick Horry, English convicted murderer ( b. 1843 )

* 1872 – Haakon VII of Norway ( d. 1957 )

* 1942 – Richard Willstätter, German chemist, Nobel Prize laureate ( b. 1872 )

* 1872 – Sri Aurobindo, Indian writer and philosopher ( d. 1950 )

* 1872 – Princess Marie Louise of Schleswig-Holstein ( d. 1956 )

In 1872 he ran for election to fill Tennessee's new at – large seat in the House of Representatives.

* 1805 – Frederick Denison Maurice, English theologian ( d. 1872 )

* 1872 – Abdullah Yusuf Ali, Indian-Islamic scholar and translator ( d. 1953 )

* 1861 – American Civil War: in order to help pay for the war effort, the United States government levies the first income tax as part of the Revenue Act of 1861 ( 3 % of all incomes over US $ 800 ; rescinded in 1872 ).

* 1872 – Kijūrō Shidehara, Japanese politician, 44th Prime Minister of Japan ( d. 1951 )

* Rangers First Centenary 1872 – 1972: 1

* 1872 – Bill Johnson, American bassist ( d. 1972 )

* 1915 – Alexander Scriabin, Russian composer ( b. 1872 )

* Alexandra Feodorovna ( Alix of Hesse ) ( 1872 – 1918 ), wife of Nicholas II of Russia

* Alexandra Kollontai ( 1872 – 1952 ), Russian politician

He married thirdly in 1872 to Circassian HH Gevherin Nedaxe Kadın Efendi ( Caucasus, 8 July 1856 – Ortaköy Palace, Ortaköy, Constantinople, 20 September 1894 ), and had one child.

* 1898 – Aubrey Beardsley, British artist ( b. 1872 )

* March 16 – Aubrey Beardsley, British artist ( b. 1872 )

Aubrey Vincent Beardsley ( 21 August 1872 – 16 March 1898 ) was an English illustrator and author.

* Aubrey Vincent Beardsley ( 1872 – 1898 ), English illustrator and author.

* Aubrey Beardsley ( 1872 – 1898 ), English artist, illustrator, and author

* Aubrey George Spencer ( 1795 – 1872 ), first Anglican Bishop of Newfoundland

Beardsley was born in Brighton, England, on 21 August 1872, and christened on 24 Oct 1872.

* A critical Greek and English concordance of the New Testament ( 1872 ) revised by Ezra Abbot

* 1872 – Hannah Mitchell, English socialist and suffragette ( d. 1956 )

Her 1872 work, Middlemarch, has been described as the greatest novel in the English language by Martin Amis and by Julian Barnes.

Irenaeus ' works were first translated into English by John Keble and published in 1872 as part of the Library of the Fathers series.

This settlement served as the capital of both Spanish and English Jamaica from its foundation in 1534 until 1872 after which the capital was moved to Kingston.

* 1872 – Edward Gordon Craig, English actor, producer, director and scenic designer ( d. 1966 )

* 1872 – Bertrand Russell, 3rd Earl Russell, English mathematician, writer, and philosopher, Nobel laureate ( d. 1970 )

* 1872 – Kathleen Clarice Groom, English writer ( d. 1954 )

* 1789 – Francis Chesney, English general and explorer ( d. 1872 )

* 1912 – Edward Adrian Wilson, English physician and naturalist, member of the Scott Expedition to the South Pole ( b. 1872 )

According to his The New York Times obituary published on April 3, 1872, Morse received respectively the decoration of the Atiq Nishan-i-Iftikhar ( English: Order of Glory ) medal on wearer's right depicted in photo of Morse with medals, set in diamonds, from the Sultan Ahmad I ibn Mustafa of Turkey ( c. 1847 ), a golden snuff box containing the Prussian gold medal for scientific merit from the King of Prussia ( 1851 ); the Great Gold Medal of Arts and Sciences from the King of Württemberg ( 1852 ); and the Great Golden Medal of Science and Arts from Emperor of Austria ( 1855 ); a cross of Chevalier in the Légion d ' honneur from the Emperor of France ; the Cross of a Knight of the Order of the Dannebrog from the King of Denmark ( 1856 ); the Cross of Knight Commander of the Order of Isabella the Catholic, from the Queen of Spain, besides being elected member of innumerable scientific and art societies in this States and other countries.

* 1872 – Henry Tingle Wilde, English chief officer on the RMS Titanic ( d. 1912 )

The English visited North America again later that year and again in 1872.

Leigh was born Vivian Mary Hartley in the campus of St. Paul's School, Darjeeling, Bengal, India ( British India ), to Ernest Hartley, an English officer in the Indian Cavalry, and Gertrude Mary Robinson Yackjee ( 1888-1972 ), a devout Roman Catholic of Irish and Armenian descent, the daughter of Mary I. Robinson and John G. Yackjee, who wed in 1872.

* November 30 – Irene Vanbrugh, English actress ( b. 1872 )

** Edward Adrian Wilson, English physician and naturalist ( b. 1872 )

** Max Beerbohm, English theater critic ( b. 1872 )

* October 22 – Hannah Mitchell, English socialist and suffragette ( b. 1872 )

* August 29 – Frederick Maurice, English theologian ( d. 1872 )

Painting depicting the English god Thunor ( the Norse Thor ), after whom Thursday is named, by Mårten Eskil Winge, 1872

* Charles Sydney Jones ( 1872 – 1947 ), English shipowner and Liberal Party politician