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

PROSPECTUS SUPPLEMENT NO. 23
- ----------------------------

                                  $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, May
2, 2001, May 23, 2001, June 21, 2001, July 9, 2001, July 17, 2001, July 30,
2001, August 14, 2001, August 27, 2001, August 28, 2001, October 10, 2001,
October 23, 2001, November 6, 2001, November 27, 2001, December 11, 2001,
January 2, 2002, January 17, 2002, March 1, 2002, March 27, 2002, April 25, 2002
and May 13, 2002 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 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)
- ----                                                   -------          -----------            -------           --------------
                                                                                                     
Morgan Stanley & Co., Inc. ........................  $101,626,000          12.2%                738,577                *
Goldman Sachs and Company .........................  $  5,110,000            *                   37,137                *
All other holders of LYONs or future
transferees, pledgees, donees, assignees or
successors of any such holders (3)(4) .............  $273,426,000          32.9%              1,987,150               1.3%


_________________
* 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
         150,909,505 shares of common stock outstanding as of March 25, 2002. 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, 2002.

(TM)Trademark of Merrill Lynch & Co., Inc.