- January 2
- 1826 – Algernon S. Buford, president of the Richmond and Danville Railroad, is born (d. 1911).
- 1830 – Henry Morrison Flagler (pictured), visionary and builder of the Florida East Coast Railway is born (d. 1913).
- 1893 – Introduction by Webb C. Ball of the General Railroad Timepiece Standards in North America. See Railroad chronometers
- 2002 – The Iowa Interstate Railroad operates its first unit coal train over the former Milwaukee Road mainline through Amana, Iowa.
See also