Anton leeuwenhoek biography

Antonie Philips van Leeuwenhoek (1632-1723) was a Dutch chemist credited with developing the science of microbiology. He was a businessman who made his own revolutionary microscopes. He then used this technological breakthrough to make innumerable discoveries of the world that can only be seen through microscopes.

He discovered single-celled organisms, bacteria and revolutionised the way science looked at the living world.

Anton leeuwenhoek biography for kids

Entirely self-taught, he was often criticised for being an amateur with no scientific pedigree. But, he shared his findings freely with the Royal Society, and his findings were widely accepted – leading to a whole new branch of science – microbiology.

Antonie van Leeuwenhoek was born in Delft, the Dutch Republic on 24 October 1632.

He was born just four days just after Johannes Vermeer – the famous artist who was also born in Delft. After a basic education, in 1648, van Leeuwenhoek became an apprentice at a draper’s shop in Amsterdam where