Filed pursuant to Rule 424(b)(3)
                                                           File Number 333-56406

PROSPECTUS SUPPLEMENT NO. 4
- ---------------------------


                                 $829,823,000

                              DANAHER CORPORATION

                    LIQUID YIELD OPTION (TM) NOTES DUE 2021
                            (ZERO COUPON -- SENIOR)
                                      AND
                          COMMON STOCK ISSUABLE UPON
                            CONVERSION OF THE LYONS

     This prospectus supplement supplements the prospectus dated March 16, 2001
of Danaher Corporation, as supplemented March 20, 2001, April 17, 2001 and May
2, 2001, relating to the sale by certain of our securityholders (including their
pledgees, donees, assignees, transferees, successors and others who later hold
any of our securityholders' interests) of up to $829,823,000 aggregate principal
amount at maturity of LYONs and the common stock issuable upon conversion of the
LYONs.  You should read this prospectus supplement in conjunction with the
prospectus, and this prospectus supplement is qualified by reference to the
prospectus, except to the extent that the information in this prospectus
supplement supersedes the information contained in the prospectus.  Capitalized
terms used in this prospectus supplement and not otherwise defined herein have
the meanings specified in the prospectus.

     The table of Selling Securityholders contained in the prospectus is hereby
amended to add the entities who are named below as selling securityholders.





                                                        Aggregate Principal
                                                        Amount at Maturity                      Number of Shares of    Percentage of
                                                       of LYONs That May be    Percentage of   Common Stock That May   Common Stock
Name                                                           Sold          LYONs Outstanding      be Sold(1)        Outstanding(2)
- ----                                                   --------------------  ----------------- ---------------------  --------------

                                                                                                          
Continental Casualty Company                                $6,000,000               *                43,605                 *
Deutsche Banc Alex Brown Inc.                                7,648,000               *                55,582                 *
Victory Capital Management as Agent for the Key Trust          135,000               *                   981                 *
   Convertible Securities Fund
Victory Capital Management as Agent for the EB                 735,000               *                 5,341                 *
   Convertible Securities Fund
Victory Capital Management as Agent for the Charitable         780,000               *                 5,668                 *
   Convertible Securities Fund
Victory Capital Management as Agent for the Victory            305,000               *                 2,216                 *
   Invest Quality Bond
Victory Capital Management as Agent for the Key Trust          735,000               *                 5,341                 *
   Fixed Income Fund
Victory Capital Management as Agent for the Charitable         480,000               *                 3,488                 *
   Income Fund
Victory Capital Management as Agent for the Cleve               30,000               *                   218                 *
   News Pub Loc 473



Additionally, the following represents updated information regarding the selling
securityholders listed in the Selling Securityholder table in the prospectus:



                                                  Aggregate
                                              Principal Amount                      Number of Shares
                                               at Maturity of     Percentage of     of Common Stock     Percentage of
                                               LYONs That May         LYONs           That May be       Common Stock
Name                                               be Sold         Outstanding          Sold(1)        Outstanding(2)
- ----                                          ---------------     -------------     ----------------   --------------

                                                                                           
All other holders of LYONs or future
 transferees, pledgees, donees, assignees
 or successors of any such holders (3)(4)...    $561,513,000          67.7%            4,080,851            2.8%


________________
*    Less than one percent (1%).
(1)  Assumes conversion of all of the holder's LYONs at a conversion rate of
     7.2676 shares of common stock per $1,000 principal amount at maturity of
     the LYONs.  This conversion rate is subject to adjustment, however, as
     described under "Description of the LYONs--Conversion Rights."  As a
     result, the number of shares of common stock issuable upon conversion of
     the LYONs may increase or decrease in the future.
(2)  Calculated based on Rule 13d-3(d)(i) of the Exchange Act, using 142,416,505
     shares of common stock outstanding as of February 23, 2001.  In calculating
     this amount for each holder, we treated as outstanding the number of shares
     of common stock issuable upon conversion of all of that holder's LYONs, but
     we did not assume conversion of any other holder's LYONs.
(3)  Information about other selling securityholders will be set forth in
     prospectus supplements, if required.
(4)  Assumes that any other holders of LYONs, or any future pledgees, donees,
     assignees, transferees or successors of or from any such other holders of
     LYONs, do not beneficially own any shares of common stock other than the
     common stock issuable upon conversion of the LYONs at the initial
     conversion rate.

     Investing in the LYONs involves risks that are described in the "Risk
Factors Relating to the LYONs" section beginning on page 12 of the prospectus.

     Neither the Securities and Exchange Commission, any state securities
commission nor any other regulatory body has approved or disapproved of these
securities or determined if this prospectus is truthful or complete.  Any
representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.

            The date of this prospectus supplement is May 23, 2001.

/TM/Trademark of Merrill Lynch & Co., Inc.