Chronology of events: 1679--1686

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 25, 1679 Authorized to administer the estate of Ernst Gerrits de Bruijn
February 10, 1679 Appointed curator; Johannes Blaucamer guarantor
February 21, 1679 Wrote Letter 27 of 1679-02-21 (AB 42) to Nehemiah Grew about cod sperm and about not finding any little animals in blood or saliva
April 1, 1679 cousin Maerten Huijchs Leeuwenhoek appointed tax master
April 12, 1679 Lambert van Velthuysen wrote to Leeuwenhoek about some of his observations
April 25, 1679 Wrote Letter 28 of 1679-04-25 (AB 43) to Nehemiah Grew about living little animals in fish, hare, and dogs and his calculation that more than ten times as many living animals come from the milt of a cod as there are people living on the Earth
April 27, 1679 Wrote letter of 1679-04-27 (AB 44) to Constantijn Huygens
May 1, 1679 Visited by James, Duke of York, and "several high personages"
May 4, 1679 mentor Constantijn Huygens called Leeuwenhoek the "magician of Delft"
May 11, 1679 Wrote letter of 1679-05-11 (AB 45) to Lambert van Velthuysen
May 15, 1679 Wrote letter of 1679-05-15 (AB 46) to Christiaan Huygens
May 20, 1679 Wrote letter of 1679-05-20 (AB 47) to Constantijn Huygens
June 13, 1679 Wrote letter of 1679-06-13 (AB 48) to Nehemiah Grew
June 13, 1679 Wrote letter of 1679-06-13 (AB 49) to Lambert van Velthuysen
July 11, 1679 Wrote letter of 1679-07-11 (AB 50) to Lambert van Velthuysen
July 20, 1679 Robert Hooke read his translation of Letter 28 of 1679-04-25 to Nehemiah Grew
July 27, 1679 Robert Hooke showed the Royal Society microscopical observations of the liquor in a ram's testicles
August 10, 1679 Robert Hooke showed the Royal Society microscopical observations of a cock's testicles
August 15, 1679 Appointed city inspector of imported and exported liquids / wine gauger
August 25, 1679 Called "an unlearned, but ingenious man" by Peter Pels
September 4, 1679 colleague Nicolaas van der Sloot appointed co-wine gauger
September 17, 1679 Paid tax on his personal stock of wine
October 13, 1679 Wrote letter of 1679-10-13 (AB 51) to Robert Hooke
October 30, 1679 cousin Pieter Abrahams Hogenhouck buried
November 1, 1679 Philosophical Collections number 1 published in London, including Leeuwenhoek's Letter 28 of 1679-04-25 (AB 43) to Nehemiah Grew
November 14, 1679 Wrote letter of 1679-11-14 (AB 52) to Lambert van Velthuysen about gout, salt, and drinking tea
November 20, 1679 Wrote letter of 1679-11-20 (AB 53) to Robert Hooke, copying his letter of 14 November 1679 to Velthuysen about gout, salt, and drinking tea
January 12, 1680 Wrote Letter 29 of 1680-01-12 (AB 54) to Robert Hooke about the structure of wood and sperm in fish
January 16, 1680 Wrote letter of 1680-01-16 (AB 55) to Robert Hooke, enclosing a copy of the letter of 1679-05-20 to Constantijn Huygens about the number and size of little animals
January 25, 1680 Robert Hooke read part of Letter 29 of 1680-01-12 about the structure of wood
February 1, 1680 Robert Hooke read copy of letter to Huygens of 1679-05-20 about the number and size of little animals in ginger water
February 2, 1680 Robert Hooke inquired whether Leeuwenhoek would accept election to the Royal Society
February 7, 1680 microscopist Jan Swammerdam died
February 8, 1680 Elected a member by the Royal Society
February 13, 1680 Wrote letter of 1680-02-13 (AB 56) to Robert Hooke that being elected a member of the Royal Society would be an honour
February 18, 1680 cousin Margaretha (Grietjen) Huijchs Leeuwenhoek married Gijsbert Pieterse Cruijt
February 22, 1680 Thomas Gale authorized by the Royal Society to send diploma with seal to Leeuwenhoek
February 29, 1680 The Royal Society ordered that its coat of arms be engraved on the silver box holding Leeuwenhoek's diploma
March 4, 1680 The Royal Society discussed a silver box for Leeuwenhoek's diploma
March 7, 1680 The Royal Society further discussed Leeuwenhoek's diploma
March 8, 1680 Thomas Gale sent Leeuwenhoek official notice of his election as member of the Royal Society
March 21, 1680 Royal Society postponed reading copy of letter of 1679-05-20 to Huygens
March 28, 1680 Royal Society again postponed reading copy of letter of 1679-05-20 to Huygens
April 5, 1680 Wrote Letter 30 of 1680-04-05 (AB 57) to Robert Hooke about the testicles and sperm of a rat and organisms in the gills of oysters and in the sap of vines
April 11, 1680 Robert Hooke read Letter 30 of 1680-04-05 about rat sperm and organisms in gills of oysters and sap of vines
April 22, 1680 Robert Hooke sent Leeuwenhoek official notice of his election as member of the Royal Society
May 13, 1680 Wrote letter of 1680-05-13 (AB 59) to Robert Hooke to gratefully accept his election as a foreign member of the Royal Society and to acknowledge the receipt of his diploma
May 13, 1680 Wrote Letter 31 of 1680-05-13 (AB 60) to Thomas Gale about little animals in sap and whether little animals are in the air
May 13, 1680 Wrote letter of 1680-05-13 (AB 58) to Members of the Royal Society expressing his surprise and gratitude at being elected a member
May 23, 1680 Robert Hooke read the letters of 1680-05-13 thanking the Royal Society
June 14, 1680 Wrote letter of 1680-06-14 (AB 61) to Robert Hooke, a short cover letter
June 14, 1680 Wrote Letter 32 of 1680-06-14 (AB 62) to Thomas Gale about beer, yeast, crab's eyes in vinegar, and little animals reproducing in hermetically-sealed tubes
June 20, 1680 Robert Hooke produced the two letters of 1680-06-14 from Leeuwenhoek
June 27, 1680 The Royal Society read Letter 32 of 1680-06-14 to Thomas Gale about beer, yeast, a little animals in hermetically sealed tubes
August 9, 1680 Wrote letter of 1680-08-09 (AB 63) to Robert Hooke to ask whether the Royal Society received previous letters and to promise further investigations into the formation of blood
August 13, 1680 Constantijn Huygens, jr., called Leeuwenhoek "the great man of the century"
September 28, 1680 Wrote letter of 1680-09-28 (AB 64) to Thomas Gale to inquire whether his letter of 1680-06-14 to Hooke had arrived
November 12, 1680 Wrote Letter 33 of 1680-11-12 (AB 65) to Robert Hooke about blood globules, lees of wine, globules in rain water, milk vessels, reproduction, little animals in the male seed of animals, and their incomprehensible smallness
November 21, 1680 Robert Hooke read the headings of Letter 33 of 1680-11-12 (AB 65)
December 5, 1680 Francis Aston promised the Royal Society to translate Letter 32 of 1680-11-12 (AB 65) to Hooke into English
January 1, 1681 Sat for Cornelis de Man's Anatomy Lesson of Dr. 's Gravezande
January 8, 1681 Appointed curator of the abandoned estate of Willemtie Pieters Touw
January 22, 1681 The Royal Society read Francis Aston's translation of Letter 32 of 1680-11-12 (AB 65) to Hooke about the lees of ale and wine
April 29, 1681 cousin Jannitgen Huijchs Leeuwenhoek buried
June 8, 1681 cousin Maria Maertens Leeuwenhoek married Jan den Appel
June 17, 1681 co-worker Daniel Bogaert buried
August 9, 1681 nephew Anthonij Jans de Molijn married Magdalena van Poelgeest
November 4, 1681 Wrote Letter 34 of 1681-11-04 (AB 66) to Robert Hooke about hog bristles, shedding hair, blackheads; living little animals in excrement, horse urine, clay, and gout
November 12, 1681 Robert Hooke produced the letter of 1681-11-04 from Leeuwenhoek
November 19, 1681 Robert Hooke read Letter 34 of 1681-11-04
November 26, 1681 Members of the Royal Society discussed Leeuwenhoek's observations of hair
December 3, 1681 Members of the Royal Society discussed Leeuwenhoek's microscopes
December 10, 1681 Philosophical Collections number 3 published in London, including Leeuwenhoek's Letter 33 of 1680-11-12 (AB 65) to Robert Hooke
January 1, 1682 Visited by Cornelis Bontekoe
January 10, 1682 Philosophical Collections number 4 published in London, including Leeuwenhoek's Letter 34 of 1681-11-04 (AB 66) to Robert Hooke
January 28, 1682 Received fees from new citizens in the name of the city's camerbewaarders and messengers
February 1, 1682 Philosophical Collections number 5 published in London, including Leeuwenhoek's Letter 35 of 1682-03-03 (AB 67) to Robert Hooke
March 3, 1682 Wrote Letter 35 of 1682-03-03 (AB 67) to Robert Hooke about muscle fibres, hair, the cell nucleus in the erythrocytes of fishes, the liver of salmons, beards of oysters, and the structure and growth of oyster shell
March 11, 1682 Robert Hooke read the first part of Letter 35 of 1682-03-03 to himself about striated muscle fibres of mammals and fishes
March 16, 1682 Robert Hooke wrote to Leeuwenhoek that his observations of shellfish muscles were well received by the Royal Society and concurred with his own
March 18, 1682 Robert Hooke read part of Letter 35 of 1682-03-03 to himself about muscle fibers
March 20, 1682 Robert Hooke wrote to Leeuwenhoek that his observations were well received by the Royal Society
April 1, 1682 Philosophical Collections number 7 published in London, including Leeuwenhoek's Letter 36 of 1682-04-04 (AB 68) to Robert Hooke
April 4, 1682 Wrote Letter 36 of 1682-04-04 (AB 68) to Robert Hooke
April 15, 1682 Robert Hooke read his letter of 1682-03-10 and Leeuwenhoek's reply of 1682-04-04 about muscles of crabs, lobsters, and shrimp
April 22, 1682 Robert Hooke showed the Royal Society part of a flesh muscle in a microscope, but the rimples mentioned by Leeuwenhoek could not be seen
July 28, 1682 Wrote letter of 1682-07-28 (AB 69) to Robert Hooke
November 19, 1682 Sold two bonds from the property of Willem Bolnes to help pay Catherina Bolnes' creditors
January 1, 1683 Visited by Marie-Anne Mancini, Duchess of Bouillon and others
January 22, 1683 Wrote Letter 37 of 1683-01-22 (AB 70) to Christopher Wren about the function of the ovary, muscles of insects, drinking tea and mild beer, erythrocytes, and a theory on the formation of blood
February 8, 1683 Received assistant wine gauger for emergencies
February 16, 1683 Francis Aston wrote to Leeuwenhoek; invited him to investigate colors
February 17, 1683 The Royal Society read Letter 37 of 1683-01-22 to Christopher Wren
March 17, 1683 Francis Aston wrote to Leeuwenhoek about new Royal Society officers
May 20, 1683 Wrote letter of 1683-05-20 (AB 71) to Anthonie Heinsius
July 16, 1683 Wrote Letter 38 of 1683-07-16 (AB 72) to Christopher Wren
July 22, 1683 Wrote letter of 1683-07-22 (AB 73) to Anthonie Heinsius
July 28, 1683 The Royal Society read Letter 38 of 1683-07-16 (AB 72) to Christopher Wren
August 4, 1683 The Royal Society discussed Letter 38 of 1683-07-16 (AB 72) to Christopher Wren about the male seed in egg yolks
September 2, 1683 Wrote letter of 1683-09-02 (AB 74) to Anthonie Heinsius
September 10, 1683 Anthonie Heinsius wrote to Leeuwenhoek about recent observations of generation
September 16, 1683 Wrote letter of 1683-09-16 (AB 75) to Anthonie Heinsius
September 17, 1683 Wrote Letter 39 of 1683-09-17 (AB 76) to Francis Aston about saliva and bacteria in tartar, nasal hairs and blackheads, skin, fish scales, pores, and calluses
September 30, 1683 Wrote letter of 1683-09-30 (AB 77) to Anthonie Heinsius
October 1, 1683 Francis Aston wrote to Leeuwenhoek about the translation of a Dutch phrase
October 14, 1683 Wrote letter of 1683-10-14 (AB 78) to Anthonie Heinsius
November 3, 1683 The Royal Society read and discussed Letter 39 of 1683-09-17 to Francis Aston
November 10, 1683 The Royal Society discussed Leeuwenhoek's observations about pores in the skin
December 28, 1683 Wrote Letter 40 of 1683-12-28 (AB 79) to Francis Aston
January 1, 1684 Published Schobbens in de Mond (Scales in the Mouth), Letter 40
January 1, 1684 Published Eyerstok (Ovary), Letters 37, 39
January 1, 1684 Published Eyerstok (Ovary), Letter 37
January 1, 1684 Published Humor Cristallinus (Crystalline Humor), Letter 41
January 1, 1684 Daniel Gaesbeeck wrote to Leeuwenhoek about why he was publishing his letters
January 1, 1684 Published Onsigtbare Geschapene Waarheden (Invisible Creation Truths), Letters 32, 33
January 1, 1684 Published Onsigtbare Geschapene Waarheden (Invisible Creation Truths), Letters 32, 39
January 1, 1684 Published Onsigtbare Geschapene Waarheden (Invisible Creation Truths), Letters 32, 33, 39
January 6, 1684 Authorized as curator to inspect estate of Willemtie Pieters Touw by her heir
February 23, 1684 The Royal Society read Letter 40 of 1683-12-28 to Francis Aston
February 26, 1684 Francis Aston wrote to Leeuwenhoek about the importance of his work
April 2, 1684 cousin Margrieta Maertens Leeuwenhoek married Michiel Reijniers van Hasseld
April 14, 1684 Wrote Letter 41 of 1684-04-14 (AB 80) to Francis Aston about lenses and corneas, the function of eye-lids, the involuntariness of blinking, the optic nerve, and the skin of Moors
May 24, 1684 The Royal Society read first part of Letter 41 of 1684-04-14 to Francis Aston the crystalline humour of the eye
May 26, 1684 William Molyneux demonstrated blood flow in a newt
May 31, 1684 The Royal Society discussed Leeuwenhoek's observations about the crystalline humour of the eye
June 14, 1684 The Royal Society read the latter part of Letter 41 of 1684-04-14 to Francis Aston
June 15, 1684 Visited Christiaan Huygens in Den Haag with the Durven brothers
July 25, 1684 Wrote Letter 42 of 1684-07-25 (AB 81) to Members of the Royal Society about parts of the brain of several animals, chalk stones of gout, leprosy, and the scales of eels
July 27, 1684 Christiaan Huygens gossiped about Maria Duyst in a letter to his brother Constantijn Huygens
December 13, 1684 sister Catharina Philips Leeuwenhoek received legacy from great uncle Johan Sebastiaans van den Berch
December 13, 1684 The Royal Society read the first part of Letter 42 of 1684-07-25 to Members of the Royal Society
December 20, 1684 cousin Geertruijt Huijchs Leeuwenhoek buried
January 1, 1685 Published Onsigtbare Verborgentheden (Invisible Mysteries), Letters 38, 42, 43
January 1, 1685 Published Zaden van Boomen (Seeds of Trees), Letters 46, 47
January 1, 1685 Published Sout-figuren (Salt figures), Letters 44, 45
January 1, 1685 Published Anatomia et Contemplatio (Anatomy and Contemplation), Letters 43, 42, 38
January 1, 1685 cousin Maerten Huijchs Leeuwenhoek appointed tax farmer
January 5, 1685 Wrote Letter 43 of 1685-01-05 (AB 82) to Members of the Royal Society
January 17, 1685 The Royal Society read the latter part of Letter 42 of 1684-07-25
January 23, 1685 Wrote Letter 44 of 1685-01-23 (AB 83) to Members of the Royal Society

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