Chronology of events: 1702--1776

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
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. ... It is not right to despise him."
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
January 9, 1720 Wrote letter of 1720-01-09 (AB 354) to members of the Royal Society about muscle fibres and membranes of a cow, mites on the flesh of a whale, and the nerves around the muscle fibres and tendons of a cow
April 8, 1720 cousin Magdaleentje (Helena) Maertens Leeuwenhoek buried
April 29, 1720 Received payment from the city for inspector / wine gauger duties
April 29, 1720 Rented the farm in den Bommel to Johannes Braber
August 3, 1720 Anthonie Heinsius died
November 20, 1720 Wrote letter of 1720-11-20 (AB 355) to members of the Royal Society about the bone membrane and the canals in bone, the cell layers and blood vessels in the bone membrane and bone from the rib of a cow
December 30, 1720 cousin Maarten Pieters Hogenhouck buried
January 15, 1721 Wrote letter of 1721-01-15 (AB 356) to members of the Royal Society about the stomata of the leaves of boxwood, the number of them, and the down on the skin of a peach and a quince
January 24, 1721 Wrote letter of 1721-01-24 (AB 357) to members of the Royal Society about vessels in wood from Ambon (Indonesia), oakwood, and pinewood, the muscle fibres of a cow, a whale, and a mouse, and the structure of a red blood cell
April 11, 1721 Wrote letter of 1721-04-11 (AB 358) to members of the Royal Society about how flesh fibers are nourished by the blood vessels, this time in fish
May 1, 1721 At age 88, his 100th publication in Philosophical Transactions
June 27, 1721 Wrote letter of 1721-06-27 (AB 359) to members of the Royal Society about finally discovering the little holes in the membranes of beans and peas and about the little vessels in seed membranes
November 17, 1721 Made will with daughter Maria
November 26, 1721 Amended will of November 17
November 30, 1721 Presented will of November 17 to notary Jan de Bries
December 19, 1721 grand-nephew Jan Cornelis Haaxman buried
January 1, 1722 Published Arcana Naturae Detecta (Nature's Mysteries Disclosed), Letters 32, 33, 37, 39 - 41, 61 - 92 (2nd)
January 1, 1722 Published Continuatio Arcanorum Naturae detectorum (Continuation of Nature's Mysteries Disclosed), Letters 93 - 107 (2nd)
January 1, 1722 Published Opera Omnia, seu Arcana Naturae Microscopiorum (The Works, or Nature's Microscopical Mysteries), 25 Letters from 28 - 60 (4th)
February 22, 1722 James Jurin wrote to Leeuwenhoek summarizing and praising his life's work (AB 360)
April 21, 1722 Wrote letter of 1722-04-21 (AB 361) to members of the Royal Society about the muscular fibres of different animals and whether iron becomes magnetic over time
May 1, 1722 Wrote letter of 1722-05-01 (AB 362) to members of the Royal Society about the structure of fat particles in sheep, lamb, flatfish, and perch
May 1, 1722 Wrote letter of 1722-05-01 (AB 363) to James Jurin, a cover letter asking for support for his observations of hermaphroditic animals
May 15, 1722 Received payment from the city for inspector / wine gauger duties
May 15, 1722 James Jurin wrote (AB 364) to Leeuwenhoek asking him to send Latin translations of his letters
June 13, 1722 Wrote letter of 1722-06-13 (AB 365) to members of the Royal Society about the reproductive organs of a ewe and a fetus from it
June 13, 1722 Wrote letter of 1722-06-13 (AB 366) to James Jurin, a cover letter expressing doubts that inoculations protect against smallpox
July 7, 1722 Wrote letter of 1722-07-07 (AB 368) to James Jurin, a cover letter about his determination that no microorganisms are to be found in the pustules of those with smallpox
July 7, 1722 Wrote letter of 1722-07-07 (AB 367) to the members of the Royal Society about calluses on human skin
July 13, 1722 Received payment from the city for inspector / wine gauger duties
November 20, 1722 Wrote letter of 1722-11-20 (AB 369) to James Jurin about the miscroscopic structure of diamonds and rock crystal
December 24, 1722 James Jurin wrote (AB 370) to Leeuwenhoek about how to measure his microscopic observations
January 15, 1723 Wrote letter of 1723-02-15 (AB 371) to members of the Royal Society about the exhaling vessels of boxwood leaves
March 19, 1723 Wrote letter of 1723-03-19 (AB 372) to members of the Royal Society about blood, the size of blood globules, the state of his health, and the role of the ovary in reproduction
May 31, 1723 Wrote letter of 1723-05-31 (AB 373) to members of the Royal Society about the structure and texture of the diaphragm, the source of his most severe ailment
June 25, 1723 James Jurin wrote (AB 374) to Leeuwenhoek about blood globules and generation
July 15, 1723 Visited by Matthew Raper
August 1, 1723 Wrote letter of 1723-08-00 (AB 376) to James Jurin about his spermist view of the generation of animals and palpitations of his diaphragm
August 1, 1723 Wrote letter of 1723-08-00 (AB 375) to James Jurin about the similarities between globules in blood and in the lees of wine to argue against Jurin’s hope to discover how blood globules are made
August 25, 1723 Requested on his deathbed that Hoogvliet translate his final two letters into Latin
August 26, 1723 Died in his Hippolytusbuurt home, 90 years old
August 27, 1723 Delft newspaper published notice of Leeuwenhoek's death
August 30, 1723 pastor Petrus Gribius wrote to James Jurin of the Royal Society announcing Leeuwenhoek's death (AB 377)
August 31, 1723 Buried in Oude Kerk
September 4, 1723 Replaced as wine gauger by Lambert the Greek
September 4, 1723 Johannes Hoogvliet wrote a note to James Jurin accompanying his Latin translation of Leeuwenhoek's last two letters (AB 378)
October 1, 1723 James Jurin wrote to Peter Gribius about Leeuwenhoek's death (AB 379)
October 4, 1723 pastor Petrus Gribius wrote to James Jurin of the Royal Society about Leeuwenhoek's methods (AB 380)
October 4, 1723 daughter Maria wrote cover letter when she sent the cabinet with 26 magnifying glasses to the Royal Society (AB 381)
November 2, 1723 translator John Chamberlayne died
November 7, 1723 Abraham Edens presented cabinet with 26 magnifying glasses to the Royal Society; Isaac Newton wrote a receipt
November 18, 1723 James Jurin wrote to Maria van Leeuwenhoek thanking her for sending the cabinet with 26 magnifying glasses
November 18, 1723 James Jurin wrote to Arnoud van den Berch about the cabinet of microscopes
December 17, 1723 James Jurin wrote to Peter Gribius in thanks for the cabinet full of "precious treasures"
January 1, 1724 Martin Folkes's article about Leeuwenhoek's cabinet of microscopes published in Philosophical Transactions
June 2, 1724 James Jurin wrote to Maria van Leeuwenhoek presenting her with two volumes of Philosophical Transactions and a silver bowl
June 2, 1724 James Jurin wrote to Arnoud van den Berch about delivering the Royal Society's gifts to Maria van Leeuwenhoek
January 1, 1729 Reinier Boitet's Beschryving der Stadt Delft published; first biography of Leeuwenhoek
April 16, 1729 nephew Anthonij Jans de Molijn buried
January 1, 1730 Published Continuatio Epistolarum (Continuation of the Letters), Letters 53-60 (4th)
February 21, 1730 cousin Adriaen Lambrechts Leeuwenhoek, the notary, had his license suspended by the Heren van de Weth
August 7, 1732 daughter Maria added codicil to 1721 will
September 23, 1733 Maria assessed for property tax on the Gulden Hoofd
November 14, 1739 daughter Maria funded the Oude Kerk memorial for her father
June 24, 1741 daughter Maria made a will providing for the graves
May 20, 1744 daughter Maria made her final will
April 25, 1745 daughter Maria died
April 30, 1745 daughter Maria buried
June 26, 1745 daughter Maria's estate inventoried
August 23, 1745 house on Hippolytusbuurt, het Gulden Hoofd, offered for sale
August 25, 1745 house on Hippolytusbuurt, het Gulden Hoofd, sold to great-nephew Dirk Haaxman
September 25, 1745 daughter Maria's 1744 act of guardianship presented to Weeskamer
September 15, 1746 daughter Maria's estate distributed to her heirs
March 6, 1747 Auction of Leeuwenhoek's microscopes announced in Leydse Courant
May 22, 1747 Auction of Leeuwenhoek's microcopes announced in cities throughout Europe
May 23, 1747 Andries Voorstad auctioned the books and instruments of a "Liefhebber"
May 29, 1747 Leeuwenhoek's magnifying glasses auctioned
September 26, 1748 Margareta Cornelia Hobus died childless
August 19, 1749 Executors of daughter Maria's estate advertised for heirs
August 14, 1755 niece Margareta Cornelia Hobus's estate
December 1, 1755 Josina van der Sprenkel sold the house on the Oosteinde that daughter Maria had bequeathed her
October 28, 1757 Executors of daughter Maria's estate declared that it cannot be distributed
October 17, 1763 niece Maria's granddaughter Maria Jans Haaxman divorced from Steven Bolland
December 14, 1765 great-nephew Dirk Haaxman sold the Gulden Hoofd
September 23, 1776 daughter Maria, final accounting of her estate

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