Jan i zacharias janssen biography information

Zacharias Janssen (born between 1580 and 1588, died in 1638) was a famous Dutch inventor and spectacle-maker that is today best known for his associations in the creation of early models of telescope and compound microscope.

However, today’s historians cannot find conclusive evidence of Janssen truly being first man that created those instruments, with several clams of discovery that were made even after his death.

Zacharias Janssen was born in Hague, as a son of Hans Martens and Maeyken Meertens who were most probably from Antwerp, Belgium.

Jan i zacharias janssen biography information today

After birth the family moved to Middelburg, Netherlands, and young Zacharias Janssen grow up on the street, constantly breaking the law and being chased by the authorities. Between age 30 and 35 he was appointed as the guardian of two children of local spectacle maker Loys Lowyssen.

During that time, he started to focus his work on creating spectacles, which was very lucrative work