Chronology of events: 1712--1719

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
February 11, 1712 Made will; he and daughter Maria universal heirs
March 1, 1712 Wrote letter of 1712-03-01 (AB 292) to Members of the Royal Society
March 25, 1712 microscopist Nehemiah Grew died
April 12, 1712 Wrote letter of 1712-04-12 (AB 293) to Members of the Royal Society
June 10, 1712 Wrote letter of 1712-06-10 (AB 294) to Members of the Royal Society
August 5, 1712 Appointed guardian of ? Leeuwenvelt
November 8, 1712 Wrote Letter I of 1712-11-08 (AB 296) to Anthonie Heinsius
November 8, 1712 Wrote letter of 1712-11-08 (AB 295) to Anthonie Heinsius
November 28, 1712 nephew Adriaan Johannes Swalmius married Agatha Amelia Cocquis
December 17, 1712 Wrote Letter II of 1712-12-17 (AB 297) to Anthonie Heinsius
January 1, 1713 Published Cinnaber Naturalis (Natural Cinnabar), Letters 48 - 52 (2nd)
February 28, 1713 Wrote Letter III of 1713-02-28 (AB 298) to Jan Meerman
March 14, 1713 Wrote Letter IV of 1713-03-14 (AB 299) to Jan Meerman
March 25, 1713 Wrote Letter V of 1713-03-25 (AB 300) to Adriaen van Assendelft
March 29, 1713 Wrote Letter VI of 1713-03-29 (AB 301) to Anthonie Heinsius
June 28, 1713 Wrote Letter VII of 1713-06-28 (AB 302) to Members of the Royal Society
June 30, 1713 Wrote Letter VIII of 1713-06-30 (AB 303) to Anthonie Heinsius
October 12, 1713 Wrote letter of 1713-10-12 (AB 304) to Hans Sloane
October 13, 1713 Hans Sloane wrote to Leeuwenhoek about responses to his recent letters
October 24, 1713 Wrote Letter IX of 1713-10-24 (AB 305) to Antony Cinck
November 19, 1713 nephew Jan Adriaans Swalmius baptized
December 7, 1713 nephew Adriaan Johannes Swalmius admitted as notary
January 6, 1714 cousin Maarten Pieters Hogenhouck appointed church warden, Oude Kerk and Nieuwe Kerk
January 26, 1714 daughter Maria received bequest from Bisschop estate
March 22, 1714 Leibniz wrote to Louis Bourguet: "a fable of extravagant proportions"
June 22, 1714 Wrote Letter X of 1714-06-22 (AB 306) to Members of the Royal Society
July 8, 1714 Richard Waller wrote to Leeuwenhoek about how the Royal Society received his observations
August 17, 1714 Andries Jacobs appointed assistant city inspector / wine gauger
August 19, 1714 Richard Waller wrote to Leeuwenhoek about the receipt of his latest letter and the Royal Society's annual recess
August 21, 1714 Wrote Letter XI of 1714-08-21 (AB 307) to Members of the Royal Society
October 23, 1714 niece Maria Jans de Molijn's widowed husband Cornelis Haaxman made will
October 26, 1714 Wrote Letter XII of 1714-10-26 (AB 308) to Members of the Royal Society
November 4, 1714 Wrote Letter XIII of 1714-11-04 (AB 309) to Adriaen van Assendelft
November 9, 1714 Wrote Letter XIV of 1714-11-09 (AB 310) to Members of the Royal Society
November 17, 1714 newphew Adriaan Johannes Swalmius married Adriana de Bries
November 20, 1714 Wrote Letter XV of 1714-11-20 (AB 311) to Members of the Royal Society
January 1, 1715 astronomer Edmond Halley, editor again of Philosophical Transactions from 1715-1719, published only one letter by Leeuwenhoek
January 1, 1715 Published Continuatio Epistolarum (Continuation of the Letters), Letters 53-60 (3rd)
January 11, 1715 Wrote letter of 1715-01-11 (AB 312) to Anthonie Heinsius
February 27, 1715 Appointed executor of Leeuwenvelt estate
February 28, 1715 Anthonie Heinsius wrote (AB 313) to Leeuwenhoek thanking him for his letters and praising his importance
March 26, 1715 Wrote Letter XVI of 1715-03-26 (AB 314) to Antony Cinck
July 1, 1715 Visited by Joachim Georg Reinerding
July 7, 1715 Wrote Letter XVII of 1715-07-07 (AB 315) to Antony Cinck
August 5, 1715 Named in document using Vermeer estate as security
August 5, 1715 Gottfried Leibniz wrote (AB 316) to Leeuwenhoek about sperm and encouraging young people
September 28, 1715 Wrote Letter XVIII of 1715-09-28 (AB 317) to Gottfried Leibniz
October 29, 1715 Gottfried Leibniz wrote (AB 318) to Leeuwenhoek about his observations and teaching his methods
November 18, 1715 Wrote letter of 1715-11-18 (AB 319) to Gottfried Leibniz
November 18, 1715 Wrote Letter XIX of 1715-11-18 (AB 320) to Gottfried Leibniz
January 1, 1716 Paid the familiegeld (estate tax) of 20 gulden
February 25, 1716 Wrote letter of 1716-02-25 (AB 321) to Anthonie Heinsius
March 3, 1716 Wrote Letter XX of 1716-03-13 (AB 322) to Gottfried Leibniz
March 31, 1716 Gottfried Leibniz wrote (AB 323) to Leeuwenhoek about membranes, multiple births, and reproduction
April 3, 1716 Leibniz wrote to Bourguet in defense of Leeuwenhoek, "to whom the public owes thanks".
May 10, 1716 Wrote Letter XXI of 1716-05-10 (AB 324) to Hubert Kornelis Poot
May 16, 1716 Wrote Letter XXII of 1716-05-16 (AB 325) to Gerard van Loon
May 19, 1716 Wrote Letter XXIII of 1716-05-19 (AB 326) to Gottfried Leibniz
May 22, 1716 Wrote Letter XXIV of 1716-05-22 (AB 327) to Cornelis Spiering
June 3, 1716 Received medal from faculty at Louvain
June 12, 1716 Wrote Letter XXV of 1716-06-12 (AB 324) to Antony Cinck
June 22, 1716 Wrote Letter XXVI of 1716-06-22 (AB 325) to Jan Gerard Kerkherdere
June 25, 1716 Witnessed baptism of great-niece Barbera, who died two weeks later
September 1, 1716 Visited by Hermaan Boerhaave, Frederik Ruysch, and Abraham van Bleiswijk
September 17, 1716 Wrote Letter XXVII of 1716-09-17 (AB 326) to Abraham Cornelis van Bleyswyck
September 28, 1716 Wrote Letter XXVIII of 1716-09-28 (AB 327) to Herman Boerhaave
October 1, 1716 Visited again by Joachim Georg Reinerding
October 10, 1716 Herman Boerhaave wrote to Leeuwenhoek in response to his letter about coconuts
November 5, 1716 Wrote Letter XXIX of 1716-11-05 (AB 328) to Herman Boerhaave
November 17, 1716 Wrote Letter XXX of 1716-11-17 (AB 329) to Gottfried Leibniz
November 21, 1716 Wrote Letter XXXI of 1716-11-21 (AB 330) to Herman Boerhaave
January 12, 1717 niece Maria Jans de Molijn's widowed husband Cornelis Haaxman's estate inventoried
January 16, 1717 cousin Maria Maertens Leeuwenhoek buried
March 2, 1717 Wrote Letter XXXII of 1717-03-02 (AB 331) to Abraham Cornelis van Bleyswyck
March 6, 1717 Wrote Letter XXXIV of 1717-03-06 (AB 333) to Members of the Royal Society
March 6, 1717 Wrote Letter XXXIII of 1717-03-06 (AB 332) to Members of the Royal Society
May 6, 1717 Wrote Letter XXXV of 1717-05-06 (AB 334) to Ewout van Bleiswijk
May 26, 1717 Wrote Letter XXXVI of 1717-05-26 (AB 335) to Abraham Cornelis van Bleyswyck
June 8, 1717 Named as neighbor in the inventory of Pieter van der Wilt's property
June 15, 1717 Wrote Letter XXXVII of 1717-06-15 (AB 336) to Members of the Royal Society
July 6, 1717 Wrote Letter XXXVIII of 1717-07-06 (AB 337) to Antony Cinck
July 13, 1717 Wrote Letter XXXIX of 1717-07-13 (AB 338) to Jan Gerard Kerkherdere
August 1, 1717 Adriaan Swalmius wrote to Leeuwenhoek about egg shells
August 18, 1717 Wrote Letter XL of 1717-08-19 (AB 339) to Adriaan Johannes Swalmius
August 26, 1717 Wrote Letter XLI of 1717-08-26 (AB 340) to Herman Boerhaave
September 10, 1717 Wrote Letter XLII of 1717-09-10 (AB 341) to Frederik Adriaan van Reede van Renswoude
September 17, 1717 Wrote Letter XLIII of 1717-09-17 (AB 342) to Members of the Royal Society
October 8, 1717 Wrote Letter XLIV of 1717-10-08 (AB 343) to Members of the Royal Society
October 22, 1717 Wrote Letter XLV of 1717-10-22 (AB 344) to Members of the Royal Society
November 20, 1717 Wrote Letter XLVI of 1717-11-20 (AB 345) to Members of the Royal Society
December 15, 1717 Received payment from the city for inspector / wine gauger duties
December 23, 1717 Named again as neighbor in the disposition of Pieter van der Wilt's estate
January 1, 1718 Published Send-Brieven (Epistles), Letters I - XLVI
April 1, 1718 cousin Pieter Maartens Leeuwenhoek married Kniertje van der Doe
April 19, 1718 nephew Adriaan Johannes Swalmius married Elisabet van Heering
December 6, 1718 Named again as a neighbor in final sale of Pieter van der Wilt's property
December 30, 1718 Delft's mayors decided that the kamerbewaarder would no longer receive 300 g after the death of Leeuwenhoek
January 1, 1719 Published Epistolae ad Societatem (Letters to the Society), Letters 108 - 146
January 1, 1719 Published Epistolae Physiologicae (Physiological Letters), Letters I - XLVI
January 23, 1719 Received payment from the city for inspector / wine gauger duties
June 26, 1719 Made will with daughter Maria