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It is believed that Zacharias Jansen's father, Hans, helped him build the first microscope in 1595. Zacharias wrote to a Dutch diplomat, William Boreel, about the invention. When the physician of the French king inquired about the invention in the 1650's, Boreel recounted the design of the microscope.
The invention of the microscope opened up a new world of discovery and study of the smallest things. Exactly who invented the microscope is unclear.