Person Leeuwenhoek; Antoni van (1632 - 1723); tradesman and microscopist Leeuwenhoek Antoni van tradesman and microscopist Antonj Antoni van Antonie Leeuwenhoeck Leuvenhoek Leeuwenhoek 1632 - 1723 Dutch Male Delft, Dutch Republic [modern day Netherlands], Europe 24 October 1632 16321024 Delft, Dutch Republic [modern day Netherlands], Europe 26 August 1723 17230826 Burial: Oude Kerk [Old Church], Delft, Dutch Republic [modern day Netherlands], Europe (30 August 1723)

Civil servant; Merchant Natural sciences Microscopy Education: School at Warmond, near Leyden; apprenticed to a cloth merchant in Amsterdam (1648) Career: Shopkeeper in Delft; became Usher to the Aldermen of municipality of Delft (1660); visited the chalk hills of Gravesend and Rochester, Kent (1668); appointed Surveyor to the Court of Holland (1669); Chief Warden of Delft (1677); Wine Gauger (or Inspector of Weights and Measures) in Delft (1679); scientific life began circa 1671, when he constructed simple microscopes to inspect the quality of cloth, grinding some 550 lenses, the best of which were not surpassed until the nineteenth century; communicated his observations by letters to other scientists and amateurs (including 190 to the Royal Society); made his most important discovery in 1674, when he recognized the true nature of micro-organisms; with Malpighi and Grew, one of the founders of the study of plant anatomy Memberships: Foreign correspondent, Academie Royale des Sciences (1699) Medals: Silver medal from the Louvain College of Professors (1716) Parents: Philip Thoniszoon and Margaret Jacobsdochter Married: 1) Barbara de Mey; 2) Cornelia Swalmius Children: incl. Maria van Leeuwenhoek Baptised with the name 'Thonis', he chose his name, meaning 'Lion's Corner', from the corner house near Leeuwenport at Delft, which was owned by his father. Van Leeuwenhoek is commonly referred to as the 'father of microbiology', as one of the first microscopists and microbiologists. Much of his correspondence on his microscopic observations, both to the Royal Society and to other people of similar standing across Europe, was published. Despite his close connection to the Society, he did not attend any meetings. He was visited by people such as Gottfried Leibniz (FRS 1673), William III of Orange, and the Russian Tsar Peter the Great, to showcase his discoveries. Leeuwenhoek went on to become the namesake for a variety of things, including the Royal Society's own Leeuwenhoek Medal and Lecture, awarded in the field of microbiology. Fellow 29/01/1680 47 William Croone Frequent correspondent to the Royal Society regarding his research and observations Sources: Bulloch's Roll; DSB; Hunter Authority: Altname from Hunter and DSB References: Da C Andrade E N. 1965. 'The Birth and Early Days of the Philosophical Transactions', in Notes and Records, vol. 20, pp. 9-27 Ford, B J. 1981-82. 'The Van Leeuwenhoek Specimens', in Notes and Records, vol. 36, pp. 37-59 Ford, B J. 1986-87. 'The Leeuwenhoekiana of Clifford Dobell (1886-1949)', in Notes and Records, vol. 41, pp. 95-105 Gest, H. 2004. 'The Discovery of Microorganisms by Robert Hooke and Antoni von Leeuwenhoek, Fellows of the Royal Society', in Notes and Records, vol. 58, pp. 187-201 Hall, A R. 1989. 'Chairman's Remarks', in Notes and Records, vol. 43, pp. 97-98 Hall, A R. 1989. 'The Leeuwenhoek Lecture, 1988. Antoni van Leeuwenhoek 1632-1723', in Notes and Records, vol. 43, pp. 249-273 Heap, B. 2003. 'From the dust of the Earth? Things come to life: spontaneous generation revisited by Henry Harris', in Notes and Records, vol. 57, pp. 107-108 Hull, D. 1997.'Early Microscopists', review of Edward G Ruestow, The Microscope in the Dutch Republic: The Shaping of Discovery', in Notes and Records, vol. 51, pp. 339-340 Jones, R.V. 1992. 'Review of Brian J Ford, The Leeuwenhoek Legacy', in Notes and Records, vol. 46, pp. 189-190 Palm, L.C. 1989. 'Leeuwenhoek and Other Dutch Correspondents of the Royal Society', in Notes and Records, vol. 43, pp. 191-207 Robertson, Lesley, et al., 2016 'Antoni van Leeuwenhoek: master of the miniscule' (Brill) Rowlinson, J S. 2003. 'Gases and liquids. How fluids unmix: discoveries by the school of Van der Waals and Kamerlingh Onnes, by J L Sengers', in Notes and Records, vol. 57, pp. 255-256 S, C S. 1938. 'The Society's Library', in Notes and Records, vol. 1, pp. 21-27 Notes: Election diploma and letter by Thomas Gale in RBO VI.358. Letters which included samples as found by Brian Ford are EL.L.1.4, EL.L.1.9, EL.L.2.1, EL.L.2.16 Leeuwenhoek P0208.jpg ©The Royal Society International Standard Archival Authority Record for Corporate Bodies, Persons and Families - ISAAR(CPF) - Ottawa 1996 ISBN 0-9696035-3-3 National Council on Archives, Rules for the Construction of Personal, Place and Corporate Names, 1997 RCN: 48710 RCN: 48703 RCN: 48706 RCN: 48704 RCN: 48702 RCN: 49700 RCN: 48705 RCN: 48701 RCN: R68788 RCN: 48708 RCN: 48709 https://pictures.royalsociety.org/results?mi_search_type=adv&mi_adv_search=yes&adv_person_id=AUTH5092 https://pictures.royalsociety.org/image-rs-14106 24 Oct 1632 - 26 Aug 1723 The past Fellows entries are under continuous revision. If you have queries or additional information to contribute, please contact Library@royalsociety.org. Content in external sources is not controlled by the Royal Society and historical sources may include content that is now unacceptable. Reviewed on 22/09/2022 as part of the Name Authority Project update. NA8438 21/11/2001 Andyg Pmab 21/02/2025 RS_NET\VirginiaM Yes http://viaf.org/viaf/71426018 ba828f8c-9686-4b0a-b454-20a121d1a87c