Christiaan Huygens, a Dutch physicist and mathematician who invented the pendulum clock and the hydrostatic balance, was born in The Hague on April 30, 1629. The son of a wealthy lens grinder, he was a prodigy from his early years. At age 17 he published a treatise in Latin on mechanical devices and soon after a book in French on navigational instruments. Bored by his official duties, he turned to astronomy and mathematics, making important contributions in both fields
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He invented the first pendulum clock and the hydrostatic balance, which allowed objects suspended from a liquid to be measured precisely. He also invented nautical instruments such as quadrants and compasses. In 1678 Huygens married Constantijn Huygens, the daughter of an astronomer well-known in Europe.
His scientific work was eclipsed by his interest in music and astronomy, but it is still remembered for its brilliance.