Antonie van Leeuwenhoek was born on 24 October 1632 in Delft. A Dutch draper from Delft, Leeuwenhoek had no formal scientific training but made simple, powerful single-lens microscopes by hand and used them to observe a previously unseen world. He was the first to describe bacteria and protozoa, which he called animalcules, as well as red blood cells, spermatozoa and the structure of muscle fibers. His detailed letters to the Royal Society in London brought him wide fame and a fellowship, and visitors from across Europe came to see his instruments. He kept his methods secret, and he is often called the father of microbiology.
Before and after
- 1632Founding of University of Amsterdam
- 29 August 1632Birth of John Locke
- October 1632Birth of Johannes Vermeer
- 20 October 1632Birth of Christopher Wren
- 24 October 1632Birth of Antonie van Leeuwenhoek
- 16 November 1632Battle of Lützen
- 24 November 1632Birth of Benedictus de Spinoza
- from 1633 to 1634Polish–Ottoman War of 1633–34
- 14 October 1633Birth of James II of England
More in Science & technology
- 27 December 1571Birth of Johannes Kepler
- 1637Descartes publishes La Geometrie: algebra meets geometry
- 8 January 1642Death of Galileo Galilei
- 1656Pendulum clock
- 1669Discovery of phosphorus
- 1755Discovery of magnesium
The era
This moment belongs to the Early modern world (1500 CE to 1760 CE), voyages, printing and new ideas. You can also browse everything in the 17th century.