Chronology of events: 1673--1692

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.
Date
April 1, 1673 cousin Magdaleentje (Helena) Maertens Leeuwenhoek (1653-1720) married Johannes de Coep
April 28, 1673 Wrote Letter 1 of 1673-04-28 (AB 1) to Henry Oldenburg
May 7, 1673 The Royal Society received Leeuwenhoek's first letter
May 19, 1673 At age 40, first letter published in Philosophical Transactions
August 8, 1673 mentor Constantijn Huygens wrote to Robert Hooke about Leeuwenhoek
August 15, 1673 Wrote Letter 2 of 1673-08-15 (AB 2) to Henry Oldenburg
August 21, 1673 mentor Reinier de Graaf buried
October 6, 1673 First letter's ten figures published in Philosophical Transactions
October 24, 1673 Leeuwenhoek's family members in 1673
November 8, 1673 Wrote letter of 1673-11-08 (AB 3) to Henry Oldenburg
January 1, 1674 Paid the Familiegeld (estate tax)
March 10, 1674 nieces Margrieta and Maria Jans de Molijn married Arnoldus van den Heuvel and Cornelis Haaxman
March 18, 1674 sister-in-law Maria de Meij married Pieter Schepens
April 5, 1674 Wrote letter of 1674-04-05 (AB 4) to Constantijn Huygens
April 7, 1674 Wrote Letter 3 of 1674-04-07 (AB 5) to Henry Oldenburg
April 16, 1674 Wrote letter of 1674-04-16 (AB 6) to Henry Oldenburg
April 24, 1674 Wrote letter of 1674-04-24 (AB 7) to Constantijn Huygens
June 1, 1674 Wrote Letter 4 of 1674-06-01 (AB 8) to Henry Oldenburg
July 6, 1674 Wrote Letter 5 of 1674-07-06 (AB 9) to Henry Oldenburg
August 1, 1674 First observed microbes
August 1, 1674 Visited by Jan Swammerdam
August 5, 1674 Visited by Holger Jacobæus, the Bartholin brothers, and Arent Seyn
August 24, 1674 daughter Maria made a will
September 7, 1674 Wrote letter of 1674-09-07 (AB 10) to Henry Oldenburg
September 7, 1674 Wrote Letter 6 of 1674-09-07 (AB 11) to Henry Oldenburg
October 19, 1674 Wrote Letter 7 of 1674-10-19 (AB 12) to Henry Oldenburg
November 12, 1674 The Royal Society read and discussed Leeuwenhoek's letter of June 1, 1674
December 4, 1674 Wrote Letter 8 of 1674-12-04 (AB 13) to Henry Oldenburg
December 21, 1674 Appointed to administer the affairs of sister-in-law Maria de Meij
December 22, 1674 sister-in-law Maria de Meij and Pieter Schepens granted a divorce
December 26, 1674 Wrote letter of 1674-12-26 (AB 14) to Constantijn Huygens
December 31, 1674 sister-in-law Catharina Swalmius buried
January 1, 1675 cousin Maerten Huijchs Leeuwenhoek appointed tax farmer
January 22, 1675 Wrote Letter 9 of 1675-01-22 (AB 15) to Henry Oldenburg
February 11, 1675 Wrote Letter 10 of 1675-02-11 (AB 16) to Henry Oldenburg
March 26, 1675 Wrote Letter 11 of 1675-03-26 (AB 17) to Henry Oldenburg
August 14, 1675 Wrote Letter 12 of 1675-08-14 (AB 18) to Henry Oldenburg
September 15, 1675 First observed microbes in rain water
December 15, 1675 Jan Vermeer, the painter, buried
December 20, 1675 Wrote Letter 13 of 1675-12-20 (AB 19) to Henry Oldenburg
January 22, 1676 Wrote letter of 1676-01-22 (AB 20) to Henry Oldenburg
January 26, 1676 sister-in-law Maria de Meij buried
February 22, 1676 Wrote Letter 14 of 1676-02-22 (AB 21) to Henry Oldenburg
April 5, 1676 co-worker Daniel Bogaert married Maria van Rees
April 21, 1676 Wrote Letter 15 of 1676-04-21 (AB 22) to Henry Oldenburg
April 24, 1676 Began series of experiments to observe microbes
April 26, 1676 Began Pepper 2 experiment
May 29, 1676 Wrote Letter 16 of 1676-05-29 (AB 23) to Henry Oldenburg
July 1, 1676 Visited by Christiaan Huygens during the summer; he saw the microbes in Leeuwenhoek's infusions
July 28, 1676 Wrote letter of 1676-07-28 (AB 24) to Henry Oldenburg
July 28, 1676 Wrote Letter 17 of 1676-07-28 (AB 25) to Robert Boyle
September 30, 1676 Appointed curator of estate of Catherine Bolnes, Vermeer's widow
October 9, 1676 Wrote Letter 18 of 1676-10-09 (AB 26) to Henry Oldenburg
October 23, 1676 Cornelis' s Gravesande lent money to Sijmons Decker
October 30, 1676 Wrote letter of 1676-10-30 (AB 27) to Henry Oldenburg
November 7, 1676 Wrote letter of 1676-11-07 (AB 28) to Constantijn Huygens
November 18, 1676 Visited by Gottfried Leibniz
November 25, 1676 Magistrates approved payment by Maria Thins so Leeuwenhoek could pay Vermeer's creditors
November 27, 1676 Wrote letter of 1676-11-27 (AB 29) to Henry Oldenburg
January 22, 1677 mentor Jacob Spoors buried
January 30, 1677 cousin Lambrecht Huijchs Leeuwenhoek (1624-1701) bought A0129 Buitenwatersloot 214
February 1, 1677 The Royal Society read the first part of Leeuwenhoek's long letter of the previous October 9
February 2, 1677 Recovered twenty-six paintings from Jannetje Stevens to help pay Catherine Bolnes' creditors
February 8, 1677 The Royal Society read the second part of Leeuwenhoek's long letter of October 9, 1676
February 15, 1677 Wrote letter of 1677-02-15 (AB 30) to Christiaan Huygens
February 22, 1677 The Royal Society read the third part of Leeuwenhoek's long letter of October 9, 1676.
March 12, 1677 Maria Thins filed a legal action to prevent Leeuwenhoek from selling The Art of Painting
March 15, 1677 Organized the auction of Vermeer's remaining paintings
March 23, 1677 Wrote Letter 19 of 1677-03-23 (AB 31) to Henry Oldenburg
March 25, 1677 The Royal Society published Leeuwenhoek's letter of October 9, 1676, reporting microbes in infusions

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