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 )

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

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States government levies the first income tax as part of the Revenue Act of 1861 ( 3 % of all incomes over US $ 800 ; rescinded in 1872 ).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.

* August 19 – Sergei Diaghilev, Russian ballet impresario ( b. 1872 )

* Sergei Aleksandrovich Buturlin – ( 1872 – 1938 ), Russian ornithologist

The late 19th and early 20th century saw the third wave of Russian classics: Igor Stravinsky ( 1882 – 1971 ), Alexander Scriabin ( 1872 – 1915 ), Sergei Prokofiev ( 1891 – 1953 ) and Dmitri Shostakovich ( 1906 – 1975 ).

* 1872 – Anton Ivanovich Denikin, Russian general ( d. 1947 )

* 1944 – Arsen Kotsoyev, Russian writer ( b. 1872 )

* 1872 – Arsen Kotsoyev, Russian writer ( d. 1944 )

* 1872 – Konstantin Bogaevsky, Russian painter ( d. 1943 )

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

* Russian lexicographer Vladimir Dal ( November 10, 1801 – September 22, 1872 )

* 1872 – Alexandra Kollontai, Russian statesman ( d. 1952 )

* 1811 – Alexandru Hâjdeu, Russian writer of Romanian origins ( d. 1872 )

* 1872 – Mikhail Kuzmin, Russian writer ( d. 1936 )

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

* November 10 – Vladimir Dal, Russian lexicographer ( d. 1872 )

* January 10 – Grigori Rasputin, Russian mystic ( d. 1916 ) proven 1872

The Russian-language libretto was written by the composer, and is based on the " dramatic chronicle " Boris Godunov by Aleksandr Pushkin, and, in the Revised Version of 1872, on Nikolay Karamzin's History of the Russian State.

Although enthusiasm for the work was high, Mussorgsky faced a seemingly insurmountable obstacle to his plans in that an Imperial ukaz of 1837 forbade the portrayal in opera of Russian Tsars ( amended in 1872 to include only Romanov Tsars ).

The Coronation Scene was performed on 5 February 1872 by the Russian Music Society, conducted by Eduard Nápravník.

In contrast to other makers, who presented their pianos to pianists, William Steinway engaged the great Russian pianist Anton Rubinstein to play Steinway pianos during an American concert tour in 1872, with 215 concerts in 239 days.

* Alexander Scriabin ( 1872 – 1912 ) Russian

In 1872 he announced to the Russian Chemical Society the discovery of a new by-product in aldehyde reactions with alcohol-like properties, and he noted similarities with compounds already discussed in publications by Wurtz from the same year.

Overt attempts at Russian " folk " musical style can be detected in passages from his first act of the collaborative Mlada ( 1872 ), The Captain's Daughter, a couple of the children's operas, and a few songs ; many other passages in his music reflect the stylistic curiosities associated with Russian art music of the 19th century, such as whole tone scales and certain harmonic devices.