On This Day

Dutch scientist Antonie van Leeuwenhoek is the first to report the existence of bacteria

Antonie Philips van Leeuwenhoekˌɦuk] ; 24 October 1632 – 26 August 1723) was a Dutch microbiologist and microscopist in the Golden Age of Dutch art, science and technology.

Antonie Philips van Leeuwenhoekˌɦuk] ; 24 October 1632 – 26 August 1723) was a Dutch microbiologist and microscopist in the Golden Age of Dutch art, science and technology. A largely self-taught man in science, he is commonly known as "the Father of Microbiology", and one of the first microscopists and microbiologists. Van Leeuwenhoek is best known for his pioneering work in microscopy and for his contributions toward the establishment of microbiology as a scientific discipline.

Raised in Delft, Dutch Republic, Van Leeuwenhoek worked as a draper in his youth and founded his own shop in 1654. He became well-recognized in municipal politics and developed an interest in lensmaking.

Historical Significance

Antonie Philips van Leeuwenhoekˌɦuk] ; 24 October 1632 – 26 August 1723) was a Dutch microbiologist and microscopist in the Golden Age of Dutch art, science and technology.

Key People

Antonie van Leeuwenhoek

microbiologist

Dutch microbiologist

Events Before

  1. English astronomer Edmond Halley first observes the comet named after him

    Edmond (or Edmund) Halley (8 November [O.S. 29 October] 1656 – 25 January 1742 [O.S. 14 January 1741]) was an English astronomer, mathematician and physicist.

  2. William Penn leaves England to sail to the New World

    William Penn leaves England to sail to the New World

  3. Thomas Otway's "Venice Preserved" premieres in London

    Thomas Otway's "Venice Preserved" premieres in London

  4. De Italiaanse Opera (The Italian Opera) theater on the Leidsegracht in Amsterdam closes less than 1-1/2 years after open

    De Italiaanse Opera (The Italian Opera) theater on the Leidsegracht in Amsterdam closes less than 1-1/2 years after opening

  5. Assembly of the French clergy issues a declaration stating, among other things, that the power of the King is not subjec

    Assembly of the French clergy issues a declaration stating, among other things, that the power of the King is not subject to papal authority

Events After

  1. French King Louis XIV marries Madame Maintenon

    Louis XIV (5 September 1638 – 1 September 1715), also known as Louis the Great (Louis le Grand [lwi lə ɡʁɑ̃]) or the Sun King (le Roi Soleil [lə ʁwa sɔlɛj]), was King of France from 1643 until his...

  2. Isaac Newton's derivation of Kepler's laws from his theory of gravity, contained in the paper “De motu corporum in gyrum

    Isaac Newton's derivation of Kepler's laws from his theory of gravity, contained in the paper “De motu corporum in gyrum” (On the motion of bodies in an orbit), is read to the Royal Society by Edmond Halley.

  3. Holy Roman Emperor Leopold I, the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, and the Venetian Republic sign an agreement establishi

    Holy Roman Emperor Leopold I, the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, and the Venetian Republic sign an agreement establishing the Holy League to prevent further expansion of the Ottoman Empire into Europe

  4. Dutch East India Company signs treaty with Sultan Hadji of Banten (Java) to aid him in a civil war with his father in ex

    Dutch East India Company signs treaty with Sultan Hadji of Banten (Java) to aid him in a civil war with his father in exchange for sole right to trade in the Sultanate [1]

  5. Patent granted for thimble

    Patent granted for thimble

More from the 1680s

Frequently Asked Questions

What happened on September 17, 1683?
Antonie Philips van Leeuwenhoekˌɦuk] ; 24 October 1632 – 26 August 1723) was a Dutch microbiologist and microscopist in the Golden Age of Dutch art, science and technology. A largely self-taught man in science, he is commonly known as "the Father of Microbiology", and one of the first microscopists and microbiologists. Van Leeuwenhoek is best known for his pioneering work in microscopy and for his contributions toward the establishment of microbiology as a scientific discipline.
Why is Dutch scientist Antonie van Leeuwenhoek is the first to report the existence ... significant?
Antonie Philips van Leeuwenhoekˌɦuk] ; 24 October 1632 – 26 August 1723) was a Dutch microbiologist and microscopist in the Golden Age of Dutch art, science and technology.
Who was involved in Dutch scientist Antonie van Leeuwenhoek is the first to report the existence ...?
Key figures include Antonie van Leeuwenhoek (microbiologist).

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