The New Student's Reference Work/Fahrenheit, Gabriel Daniel

Fahrenheit (fä′ren-hīt), Gabriel Daniel, the improver of the thermometer and barometer, was born at Dantzic, Prussia, on May 14, 1686. Originally intended for business, he abandoned trade at an early age and took up the study of natural philosophy. About 1714 he conceived the idea of using quicksilver instead of spirits of wine in the making of thermometers, thereby increasing their accuracy. Fahrenheit fixed his freezing point at 32°, to avoid errors in measuring the temperature. He was elected a fellow of the Royal Society, of London in 1724, and died on Sept. 16, 1736. For all practical purposes Fahrenheit's thermometer is the one in general use in the United States.