December 31, 1899 is not the last day of the 19th century, which also includes the year 1900. December 31, 1899 is day zero for dates in Microsoft Excel, similar to January 1, 1970 being day zero for Unix time. This is to ensure backwards compatibility with Lotus 1-2-3, which had a bug misinterpreting 1900 as a leap year. Date unknown Ferdinand Zeppelin builds the first successful airship. The significance of Chinese oracle bones is discovered. The North Carolina General Assembly incorporates the town of Manteo, which was originally laid out as the Dare County seat in 1870. Riro, last of the Kings of Easter Island, on a visit to Valparaíso, Chile, dies either from alcohol poisoning, or an assassination plot by the Chilean government. Oxo beef stock cubes are introduced, by Liebig's Extract of Meat Company. Alfred R. Tucker becomes Bishop of Uganda. The German company Miele is founded. Torii Shoten, predecessor of Suntory, a worldwide alcoholic drink and soft drink brand, was founded in Osaka, Japan. Giros-Loucheur Group, predecessor of Vinci, a worldwide construction and infrastructure industry, founded in France. Timken Roller Bearing Company, predecessor of worldwide parts brand, Timken was founded in Missouri, United States. The 1899–1923 cholera pandemic occur in the Europe, Asia and Africa (Old World), right behind the 1846–1860 cholera pandemic in Russia Births January January 1 – Jack Beresford, British Olympic rower (d. 1977) January 3 – Karl Diebitsch, German fashion designer (1985) January 6 Alphonse Castex, French rugby union player (d. 1969) Heinrich Nordhoff, German automotive engineer (d. 1968) Elsie Steele, British supercentenarian (d. 2010) January 7 – Francis Poulenc, French composer (d. 1963) January 8 – S. W. R. D. Bandaranaike, 4th Prime Minister of Sri Lanka (d. 1959) January 11 – Eva Le Gallienne, English actress (d. 1991) January 12 – Paul Hermann Müller, Swiss chemist, recipient of the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine (d. 1965) January 14 Fritz Bayerlein, German general (d. 1970) Carlos Romulo, Filipino diplomat (d. 1985) January 15 – Goodman Ace, American actor, comedian and writer (d. 1982) January 17 Al Capone, American gangster (d. 1947) Nevil Shute, English-born novelist (d. 1960) January 20 – Kenjiro Takayanagi, Japanese television development pioneer (d. 1990) January 21 Gyula Mándi, Hungarian footballer and manager (d. 1969) John Bodkin Adams, British physician acquitted of murder (d. 1983) January 23 – Alfred Denning, Baron Denning, English lawyer, judge and Master