Timeline December 1872

Events in December 1872 3

• 1820 – 1872 William John Macquorn Rankine (1820-1872) Died 24 December 1872, aged 52 William John Macquorn Rankine was a Scottish engineer and physicist who was a founding contributor to the science of thermodynamics. He developed the Rankine cycle and the Rankine temperature scale, both still used in engineering.
• 1830 – 1872 Kamehameha V (1830-1872) Died 11 December 1872, aged 42 Kamehameha V was King of Hawaii from 1863 until his death, presiding over a period of conservative reforms and a new constitution that strengthened the monarchy. His death without a named heir ended the direct Kamehameha line of succession.
• 1872 Mary Celeste found abandoned Ship discovered adrift with crew missing, cargo and provisions intact The merchant ship Mary Celeste was found sailing unmanned in the Atlantic Ocean by the crew of the Dei Gratia. The fate of the captain, his family, and crew was never determined, and the case became one of the most enduring maritime mysteries.