Chronology of events: 1687--1694

For some events, the year is certain but the month and day are not. Example: We know only the year for the collections of Leeuwenhoek's letters published in Dutch during his lifetime.

For other events, the season or month are certain but the day is not. Example: Leeuwenhoek mentions that someone visited him "last month".

On the other hand, many events did indeed happen on the first day of a month. Example: public appointments to Delft's city offices took effect on January 1 of each year. Thus:

  • A date of January 1 in a given year may indicate that the year is certain but the month and day are not.
  • A date of 1 in a given month may indicate that the year and month are certain but the day is not.

Unless otherwise indicated, for events in England, the date given is Old Style, 10 days behind the Dutch Republic's New Style until 1700 and then 11 days behind.

Date
January 1, 1687 cousin Maarten Pieters Hogenhouck (1650-1720) appointed to Veertigraad, served 1687-1720
January 1, 1687 Published Vervolg der Brieven (Continuation of the Letters), Letters 53 - 60
January 1, 1687 Published Anatomia Seu Interiora Rerum (Interior Anatomy), Letters 43, 42, 38
January 1, 1687 Published Anatomia Seu Interiora Rerum (Interior Anatomy), 19 Letters from 28 - 52
January 27, 1687 cousin Magdaleentje (Helena) Maertens Leeuwenhoek married Barent van Frijtom
March 1, 1687 Wrote letter of 1687-03-01 (AB 97) to James II, King of England
March 28, 1687 mentor Constantijn Huygens died
April 4, 1687 Wrote Letter 53 of 1687-04-04 (AB 98) to Members of the Royal Society about the structure of the teeth of elephant, pig, humans, ox, and horse and about toothache
April 5, 1687 Guarantor for Johan Francisco de Raet when he became a citizen of Delft
April 16, 1687 The Royal Society ordered that Letter 53 of 1687-04-04 be translated
April 23, 1687 The Royal Society read part of Letter 53 of 1687-04-04 about the structure of teeth
May 7, 1687 The Royal Society read the latter part of Letter 53 of 1687-04-04 about the teeth of various animals
May 9, 1687 Wrote Letter 54 of 1687-05-09 (AB 99) to Members of the Royal Society about the structure of 'stone' of the medlar and the coffee bean and acid in plants
May 14, 1687 The Royal Society read and discussed part of Letter 54 of 1687-05-09 about embryo plants in seeds
June 4, 1687 The Royal Society read and discussed part of Letter 54 of 1687-05-09 about coffee
June 11, 1687 cousin Adriaen Lambrechts Leeuwenhoek admitted as notary
June 13, 1687 Wrote Letter 55 of 1687-06-13 (AB 100) to Members of the Royal Society
June 18, 1687 The Royal Society read part of Letter 50 of 1686-05-14 about gall nuts
July 11, 1687 Wrote Letter 56 of 1687-07-11 (AB 101) to Members of the Royal Society
August 6, 1687 Wrote Letter 57 of 1687-08-06 (AB 102) to Members of the Royal Society
September 9, 1687 Wrote Letter 58 of 1687-09-09 (AB 103) to Members of the Royal Society about ant eggs, larvae and its development, feeding, sting, cocoon and nest
October 7, 1687 Appointed curator of the insolvent estate of Evert van der Sijde
October 17, 1687 Wrote Letter 59 of 1687-10-17 (AB 104) to Members of the Royal Society
November 24, 1687 nephew Johannes Adriaans Swalmius married Magdelena van Mierop
November 26, 1687 The Royal Society read part of Letter 58 of 1687-09-09 about the generation of ants
November 28, 1687 Wrote Letter 60 of 1687-11-28 (AB 105) to Members of the Royal Society about his discovery that cochineal was an insect and his experiments with cinchona bark
December 3, 1687 The Royal Society read and discussed the latter part of Letter 58 of 1687-09-09 about the generation of ants
December 11, 1687 The Royal Society ordered that Letter 60 of 1687-11-28 be translated
January 1, 1688 Published Vervolg der Brieven (Continuation of the Letters), Letters 53 - 60 (2nd)
April 2, 1688 printer-bookseller Hendrik van Cronevelt bought the house next door
May 25, 1688 Wrote Letter 61 of 1688-05-25 (AB 106) to Members of the Royal Society
July 6, 1688 Wrote Letter 62 of 1688-07-06 (AB 107) to Members of the Royal Society
August 3, 1688 Wrote Letter 63 of 1688-08-03 (AB 108) to Members of the Royal Society
August 24, 1688 Wrote Letter 64 of 1688-08-24 (AB 109) to Members of the Royal Society
September 7, 1688 Wrote Letter 65 of 1688-09-07 (AB 110) to Members of the Royal Society
September 23, 1688 Wrote letter of 1688-09-23 (AB 111) to Melchisedec Thevenot
November 1, 1688 Published Den Waaragtigen Omloop des Bloeds (On the True Circulation of Blood), Letter 65
January 1, 1689 Published Tweede Vervolg der Brieven (Second Continuation of the Letters), Letters 61 - 67
January 1, 1689 Published Continuatio Epistolarum (Continuation of the Letters), Letters 53-60
January 12, 1689 Wrote Letter 66 of 1689-01-12 (AB 113) to Members of the Royal Society
January 12, 1689 Wrote letter of 1689-01-12 (AB 112) to Robert Boyle
March 6, 1689 Christiaan Huygens wrote to Leeuwenhoek about other places to see the circulation of blood
April 1, 1689 Did not write any letters between 1689 04-01 and 1691 09-18
April 1, 1689 Wrote Letter 67 of 1689-04-01 (AB 114) to Members of the Royal Society
April 23, 1689 Appointed guardian of the children of Jacob Bellart
May 27, 1689 Anthonie Heinsius became Grand Pensionary of the States of Holland
June 21, 1689 nephew Adriaan Johannes Swalmius baptized, witnessed by Antony and Cornelia
October 19, 1689 cousin Adriaen Lambrechts Leeuwenhoek married Eva Jacobs Overschie
March 6, 1690 Christiaan Huygens wrote to Leeuwenhoek about liquids in glass balls and Iceland crystal
April 3, 1690 cousin Maarten Lambrechts Leeuwenhoek married Margareta Pieters van Limburg
April 17, 1690 daughter Maria made a will
September 7, 1690 Bought the other part of the garden outside the walls of the city
January 1, 1691 Published Onsigtbare Verborgentheden (Invisible Mysteries), Letters 38, 42, 43 (2nd)
March 2, 1691 Gottfried Leibniz wrote to Christiaan Huygens praising Leeuwenhoek
September 11, 1691 William Stanley wrote to Leeuwenhoek that the members of the Royal Society "wish their services to be presented to me"
September 18, 1691 Wrote letter of 1691-09-18 (AB 115) to Antonio Magliabechi
November 27, 1691 Wrote Letter 68 of 1691-11-27 (AB 116) to Members of the Royal Society
December 2, 1691 mentor Cornelis 's Gravesande died
December 5, 1691 mentor Cornelis 's Gravesande buried
December 6, 1691 brother-in-law Jan Jacobs de Molijn buried
January 1, 1692 William Molyneaux wrote about a visit to Leeuwenhoek
January 4, 1692 Wrote Letter 69 of 1692-01-04 (AB 117) to Members of the Royal Society
January 13, 1692 niece Geertruijt Jans de Molijn inherited property from her father Jan Jacobs
February 1, 1692 Wrote Letter 70 of 1692-02-01 (AB 118) to Members of the Royal Society
February 1, 1692 Robert Hooke called Leeuwenhoek the microscope's "single votary"
February 2, 1692 Richard Waller wrote to Leeuwenhoek about his recent observations and the structure of grass
March 7, 1692 Wrote Letter 71 of 1692-03-07 (AB 119) to Members of the Royal Society
March 19, 1692 Reimbursed for purchase of distilled water and wine
April 22, 1692 Wrote Letter 72 of 1692-04-22 (AB 120) to Richard Waller
June 24, 1692 Wrote Letter 73 of 1692-06-24 (AB 121) to Members of the Royal Society
July 22, 1692 Christiaan Huygens began second series of observations of microbes replicating and expanding on Leeuwenhoek's
August 12, 1692 Wrote Letter 74 of 1692-08-12 (AB 122) to Members of the Royal Society
September 16, 1692 Wrote Letter 75 of 1692-09-16 (AB 123) to Members of the Royal Society
September 23, 1692 Wrote letter of 1692-09-23 (AB 124) to Mary, Queen of Great Britain
October 20, 1692 Christiaan Huygens wrote to Leeuwenhoek about spontaneous generation and praised his work and diligence
November 29, 1692 cousin Sara Maertens Leeuwenhoek married Cornelis Luda
December 21, 1692 cousin Jacob Adriaens Leeuwenhoek (1692-1724) baptized
January 1, 1693 editor Richard Waller began publishing Leeuwenhoek again
March 25, 1693 Published Derde Vervolg der Brieven (Third Continuation of the Letters), Letters 68 - 75
April 4, 1693 Received an honorarium from the city for his books of letters
April 28, 1693 Richard Waller wrote to Leeuwenhoek about colors of feathers and univocal generation
May 23, 1693 De la Croze called Leeuwenhoek a "curious Observer of Nature"
July 1, 1693 Wrote letter of 1693-07-01 (AB 125) to Richard Waller
August 18, 1693 Pieter Rabus wrote to Leeuwenhoek praising his accomplishments and including a laudatory poem
August 24, 1693 George Garden wrote to Leeuwenhoek about the role of egg and ovaries in reproduction
September 18, 1693 Paul Durven appointed curator
September 26, 1693 cousin Sara Maertens Leeuwenhoek buried
September 30, 1693 Edmund King replicates Leeuwenhoek's observations of microbes
October 15, 1693 Wrote Letter 76 of 1693-10-15 (AB 126) to Members of the Royal Society
October 27, 1693 Wrote letter of 1693-10-27 (AB 127) to Pieter Rabus
November 19, 1693 nephew Johannes Adriaans Swalmius buried
November 21, 1693 Appointed guardian of his dying wife Cornelia Swalmius
November 30, 1693 Hans Sloane was elected Secretary of the Royal Society and editor of Philosophical Transactions. He published 68 articles by Leeuwenhoek over the next twenty years.
December 5, 1693 Rented St. Agnieten Tooren from the city for 12 years
December 7, 1693 wife Cornelia Swalmius made a will
December 8, 1693 Wrote letter of 1693-12-08 (AB 128) to Richard Waller
December 20, 1693 Wrote Letter 77 of 1693-12-20 (AB 129) to Members of the Royal Society
December 26, 1693 wife Cornelia Swalmius made a will including Maria
December 29, 1693 Sold the garden outside the walls of the city
December 31, 1693 Promised to pay five gulden for the ransom of a neighbor's son from Algerian pirates
January 1, 1694 Published Onsigbare Geschapene Waarheden (Invisible Creation Truths), Letters 32, 39, 33
January 1, 1694 Published Vierde Vervolg der Brieven (Fourth Continuation of the Letters), Letters 76 - 83
January 6, 1694 wife Cornelia Johannes Swalmius buried
January 19, 1694 Wrote letter of 1694-01-19 (AB 130) to Richard Waller
January 24, 1694 Wrote Letter 78 of 1694-01-24 (AB 131) to Members of the Royal Society
January 31, 1694 Richard Waller wrote to Leeuwenhoek about colors and sperm inside of eggs
February 12, 1694 Wrote letter of 1694-02-12 (AB 132) to Richard Waller
February 12, 1694 Presented act of guardianship to the Weeskamer after Cornelia's death
February 24, 1694 Wrote Letter 79 of 1694-02-24 (AB 133) to Members of the Royal Society
February 28, 1694 Benedictus Haan wrote to Leeuwenhoek agreeing with him against George Garden about the female ovary
March 2, 1694 Wrote Letter 80 of 1694-03-02 (AB 134) to Members of the Royal Society
March 2, 1694 Presented Cornelia's will to the Weeskamer
March 19, 1694 Wrote Letter 81 of 1694-03-19 (AB 135) to Members of the Royal Society
April 2, 1694 Wrote Letter 82 of 1694-04-02 (AB 136) to Members of the Royal Society
April 30, 1694 Wrote Letter 83 of 1694-04-30 (AB 137) to Members of the Royal Society
May 11, 1694 Received an honorarium from the city for the Fourth Continuation of the Letters
May 26, 1694 Wrote letter of 1694-05-26 (AB 138) to Richard Waller
June 4, 1694 Visited Pieter Rabus in Rotterdam
July 30, 1694 Arnold Ramp appointed tax collector for livestock sales
September 14, 1694 Wrote Letter 84 of 1694-09-14 (AB 139) to Richard Waller
November 3, 1694 Lent 400 guilders to Leendert van Bijstervelt
November 24, 1694 cousin Maerten Huijchs Leeuwenhoek buried
November 29, 1694 microscopist Marcello Malpighi died
November 30, 1694 Wrote Letter 85 of 1694-11-30 (AB 140) to Pieter Rabus