Jacques Cousteau
Biography
Jacques Cousteau was a French sailor, undersea explorer, photographer, inventor, war hero, writer, and pioneer in underwater archeology. Within the history of engineering and technology, he is predominately known for inventing modern day scuba gear, specifically the diving regulator. He is also known for producing and writing for television, which educated audiences around the world on the subjects of ocean's natural treasure and the effects of pollution. His invention has allowed both scientists and explorers to further discover Earth and its hidden properties within the sea. [1]
Jacques-Yves Cousteau was born June 11, 1910 in Saint-Andre-de-Cubzac, France. Born to Daniel and Elizabeth Cousteau, Daniel returned to Paris, France to work as an international lawyer, where his son Jacques eventually got sick. Suffering from stomach illnesses, the doctors had informed Jacques to not perform in any strenuous activities. Despite this, he went on to teach himself how to swim at the age of four, developing a passion for the sea. He also displayed an intuitive understanding of mechanical devices, building a model of a marine crane when he was eleven years old. [2]
During his teen years, Cousteau was expelled from a French high school for breaking the school’s windows with rocks. In retaliation by his parents, he was sent to a military-style academy near the French-German border, where they "straightened him out" and made him into a dedicated student. He went on to graduate in 1929, unsure of what career he wanted to pursue. He eventually decided to join the military to experience traveling. After passing a rigorous entrance exam, he was accepted into the Ecole Navale, the French Naval Academy. Traveling on a yearlong cruise, he graduated second in his class of 1933 and was promoted to second lieutenant. He was then sent to a naval base in Shanghai, China to survey and map the countryside. [3]
Coming back home to France, in 1936 he has suffered a major automobile accident that nearly took his life. Traveling too fast on a bend, his car disconnected from the road; he paralyzed his right side and broke a dozen bones, shattering both his arms. Surgeons recommended in amputating the paralyzed right arm that became infected; however, Cousteau insisted his arm remain. He survived, but his navel career was terminated.
After months of therapy, he spent much of his time swimming to increase the strength of his shattered arms. During his time recovering, he opted to take a position as a naval gunnery instructor. Now swimming daily to strengthen his arms, he improvised a pair of swimming goggles from aircraft pilot goggles and swam down to explore the sea floor. The beauty of the sea floor and its flora made a deep impression upon him; he suddenly decided to make diving his life's work. [4]
In World War II during his career as a diver, the Nazi’s had taken the city of Paris. Jacques and his family were forced to take refuge in the small town of Megreve, near the Swiss border; for the first few years of the war while hiding from Nazi’s he continued to experiment with underwater exploration. During his time experimenting, in 1943 he met Emile Gagnan, a French engineer who shared his passion for discovery. Together they began to experiment with the newly invented compressed air cylinders, constructing snorkel hoses, body suits, and breathing apparatuses.
Eventually, in 1942 the first aqualung device was constructed, allowing divers to stay underwater for extended periods of time. Using the device, Jacques joined the French Resistance movement to spy on Italian armed forces, documenting troop movement. He was recognized for his resistance efforts and was awarded several medals, including the Legion of Honor from France. After the war ended, he continued to work with the French navy to clear underwater mines by applying his breathing device. Between missions, he continued his underwater explorations by recording various tests and film segments with the waterproof camera. [5]
After assisting the French Navy in clearing Nazi minefields, on July 19th, 1950, Jacques purchased the Calypso, a converted U.S. minesweeper he would use to undergo scientific deep sea exploration. After undergoing significant renovation, Jacques deployed the Calypso on a Red Sea expedition where he would yield numerous discoveries on previously unknown plant and animal species. After discovering a volcanic basin beneath the Red Sea and sailing to the Italian town of Toulon in the February of 1952, the crew miraculously discovered ancient, uncharted Roman wreckage filled with treasure near the southern coast of Grand Congloue. This led Jacques to gain fame in France, and also helped his published work The Silent World gain attention, leading it to achieve international praise.
In 1953, Jacques began to collaborate with Harold Edgerton, a pioneer in high-speed photography who invented the strobe light and other photographic devices. Edgerton assisted Jacques in outfitting the Calypso with innovative camera technology that skimmed along the ocean floor to send back photos of deep-sea creatures. Realizing the limitations of deep sea diving, they not only employed camera technology, but also began to use submarines for scientific research. Named the DS-2 (nicknamed the diving saucer), it had made more than one thousand dives and had been part of countless undersea discoveries. Cite error: Closing </ref>
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Jacques eventually went on to produce and star in many television programs to promote the preservation of the oceanic environment. He went on to create additional documentaries with his son Philippe on exploring the ocean; however, due to his son’s tragic death in a plane crash in 1979, he suspended his film production. He went on to publish many written works, until his death on June 25th, 1997 in Paris, France. His last book published posthumously in 2007: The Human, the Orchid, and the Octopus: Exploring and Conserving our Natural World.[6] Known historically as the inventor of the first underwater breathing apparatus, a pioneer of underwater archeology and exploration, and an environmentalist that promoted the preservation of Earth’s oceans, Jacques was an inspirational figure that influenced our understanding of the ocean.
references
- ↑ http://www.biography.com/people/jacques-cousteau-9259496#early-life
- ↑ http://www.notablebiographies.com/Co-Da/Cousteau-Jacques.html
- ↑ http://www.encyclopedia.com/topic/Jacques_Cousteau.aspx
- ↑ http://www.famousscientists.org/jacques-cousteau/
- ↑ http://www.biography.com/people/jacques-cousteau-9259496#famed-explorer
- ↑ http://www.britannica.com/biography/Jacques-Cousteau