September 22 - Vladimir Dal, Russian lexicographer (b. 1801)
October 23 - Théophile Gautier, French writer (b. 1811)
November 28 - Mary Fairfax Somerville, British scientific writer (b. 1780)
December 31 - Aleksis Kivi, Finnish author (b. 1834)
Events
January 2 - Brigham Young is arrested on charges of bigamy for having 25 wives.
February 20 - In New York City the Metropolitan Museum of Art opens.
March 1 - Yellowstone National Park is established as the world's first national park.
March 5 - George Westinghouse patents the air brake.
March 11 - Construction of the Seven Sisters Colliery, South Wales, begins; located on one of the richest coal sources in Britain.
March 11 - The Meiji Japanese government officially annexes the Ryukyu Kingdom into what would become the Okinawa prefecture.
March 16 - The Wanderers F.C. won the first FA Cup, the oldest football competition in the world, beating Royal Engineers A.F.C. 1-0 at The Oval in Kennington, London.
May 10 - Victoria Woodhull becomes the first woman nominated for President of the United States.
May 22 - Reconstruction: U.S. President Ulysses S. Grant signs the Amnesty Act of 1872 into law restoring full civil rights to all but about 500 Confederate sympathizers.
November 29 - Indian Wars: The Modoc War begins with the Battle of Lost River.
November 30 - The first-ever international football match takes place at Hamilton Crescent, Glasgow, between Scotland and England.
December 4 - The crewless American ship Mary Celeste is found by the British brig Dei Gratia (the ship was abandoned for 9 days but was only slightly damaged).
December 9 - In Louisiana, P. B. S. Pinchback becomes the first serving African-American governor of a U.S. state.
December 11 - P.B.S. Pinchback becomes the first black member of the U.S. House of Representatives.
December 21 - Challenger expedition: HMS Challenger, commanded by Captain George Nares, sails from Portsmouth.
