1881 (MDCCCLXXXI) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar and a common year starting on Thursday of the Julian calendar, the 1881st year of the Common Era (CE) and Anno Domini (AD) designations, the 881st year of the 2nd millennium, the 81st year of the 19th century, and the 2nd year of the 1880s decade. As of the start of 1881, the Gregorian calendar was 12 days ahead of the Julian calendar, which remained in localized use until 1923.
Millennium: | 2nd millennium |
---|---|
Centuries: | 18th century – 19th century – 20th century |
Decades: | 1850s 1860s 1870s – 1880s – 1890s 1900s 1910s |
Years: | 1878 1879 1880 – 1881 – 1882 1883 1884 |

Wikimedia Commons has media related to 1881.
Events
change- The Hamleys Toy Store opens on Regent's Street in London.
Births
change- February 11 – Arthur Davidson, American business man (d. 1950)
- February 21 - Kenneth J. Alford, British composer (d. 1945)
- October 25 – Pablo Picasso (d. 1973)
- November 25 – Pope John XXIII (d. 1963)