Gabriel Fahrenheit

Gabriel Fahrenheit (1686-1736), German physicist, born in Danzig (now Gdańsk, Poland). He settled in the Netherlands and engaged in the manufacture of meteorological instruments. In 1714 he constructed the first thermometer employing mercury instead of alcohol. Using this thermometer, he devised the temperature scale now known by his name. Fahrenheit also invented a hygrometer of improved design. He discovered that other liquids besides water have a fixed boiling point and that these boiling points vary with changes in atmospheric pressure.