Leeuwenhoek

Antonie van Leeuwenhoek
A portrait of Antonie van Leeuwenhoek (1632–1723) by Jan Verkolje
Born	(1632-10-24)24 October 1632 Delft, Dutch Republic
Died	26 August 1723(1723-08-26) (aged 90) Delft, Dutch Republic
Nationality	Dutch
Fields	Microscopy Microbiology
Known for	The first acknowledged microscopist and microbiologist Microscopic discovery of microorganisms (animalcule)
Influences	Robert Hooke Regnier de Graaf
Influenced	History of biology and life sciences Natural history Scientific Revolution Age of Reason
Signature

Antonie Philips van Leeuwenhoek (/ˈleɪvənhʊk/, Dutch: [ɑnˈtoːni vɑn ˈleːuə(n)ˌɦuk]; 24 October 1632 – 26 August 1723) was a Dutch businessman, scientist, and one of the notable representatives of the Golden Age of Dutch science and technology. A largely self-taught man in science, he is commonly known as "the Father of Microbiology", and often considered to be the first acknowledged microscopist and microbiologist. Van Leeuwenhoek is best known for his pioneering work in the field of microscopy and for his contributions toward the establishment of microbiology as a scientific discipline.

Raised in Delft, in the Dutch Republic, van Leeuwenhoek worked as a draper in his youth and founded his own shop in 1654. He became well recognized in municipal politics and eventually, developed an interest in lensmaking. Using his handcrafted microscopes, he was the first to observe and describe microorganisms, which he originally referred to as animalcules (from Latin animalculum = "tiny animal"). His 1670s discovery and study of the hitherto unknown microscopic world (or microbial life) is also considered one of the most notable achievements of the Golden Age of Dutch exploration and discovery (ca. 1590s–1720s), similar to the Dutch discovery and mapping of largely unknown landmasses and far southern skies during the Age of Exploration.