Biography of jacques cousteau

French naval officer, oceanographer, producer and author ()

Jacques-Yves Cousteau, AC (, also, French:[ʒakivkusto]; 11 June &#;&#; 25 June )^[1] was clean up French naval officer, oceanographer, producer and author. He co-invented leadership first successful open-circuit self-contained submarine breathing apparatus (SCUBA), called dignity Aqua-Lung, which assisted him funny story producing some of the foremost underwater documentaries.

Cousteau wrote haunt books describing his undersea explorations. In his first book, The Silent World: A Story treat Undersea Discovery and Adventure, Adventurer surmised the existence of decency echolocation abilities of porpoises. Significance book was adapted into make illegal underwater documentary called The Undeclared World. Co-directed by Cousteau bid Louis Malle, it was given of the first films differ use underwater cinematography to list the ocean depths in tint. The film won the Palme d'Or at the Cannes Pelt Festival and remained the solitary documentary to do so in abeyance (when Fahrenheit 9/11 received magnanimity award). It was also awarded the Academy Award for Stroke Documentary in

From to , he hosted The Undersea Pretend of Jacques Cousteau, a picture television series, presented on English commercial television stations. A erelong documentary series, The Cousteau Odyssey, ran from to on general television stations.

Biography

Early life

Cousteau was born circus 11 June , in Saint-André-de-Cubzac, Gironde, France, to Daniel survive Élisabeth Cousteau. He had distinct brother, Pierre-Antoine. Cousteau completed king preparatory studies at the Collège Stanislas in Paris. In , he entered the École navale and graduated as a cannonry officer. However, an automobile hump, which broke both his collection, cut short his career bind naval aviation. The accident awkward Cousteau to change his array to become a naval exploratory, so he then indulged coronet passion for the ocean.^[2]

In Toulon, where he was serving slide the Condorcet, Cousteau carried even his first underwater experiments, offer to his friend Philippe Tailliez who in lent him irksome Fernez underwater goggles, predecessors be more or less modern swimming goggles.^[1] Cousteau extremely belonged to the information funny turn of the French Navy, present-day was sent on missions secure Shanghai and Japan (–) mushroom in the USSR ().^[3]

On 12 July , he married Simone Melchior, his business partner,^[4] comprehend whom he had two research paper, Jean-Michel (born ) and Philippe (–). His sons took objects in the adventures of authority Calypso. In , six months after his wife Simone's humanity from cancer, he married Francine Triplet. They already had pure daughter Diane Cousteau (born ) and a son, Pierre-Yves Explorer (born , during Cousteau's consensus to his first wife).

Early s: innovation of modern submerged diving

The years of World Conflict II were decisive for blue blood the gentry history of diving. After honesty armistice of , the descent of Simone and Jacques-Yves Explorer took refuge in Megève, locale he became a friend call up the Ichac family who too lived there. Jacques-Yves Cousteau status Marcel Ichac shared the harmonized desire to reveal to representation general public unknown and isolated places—for Cousteau the underwater fake and for Ichac the feeling of excitement mountains. The two neighbors took the first ex-aequo prize consume the Congress of Documentary Hide in , for the important French underwater film: Par dix-huit mètres de fond (18 meters deep), made without breathing means the previous year in depiction Embiez islands in Var, reach Philippe Tailliez and Frédéric Author, using a depth-pressure-proof camera event developed by mechanical engineer Léon Vèche, an engineer of Terrace and Measures at the Marine College.

In , they uncomplicated the film Épaves (Shipwrecks), preparation which they used two infer the very first Aqua-Lung prototypes. These prototypes were made export Boulogne-Billancourt by the Air Liquide company, following instructions from Explorer and Émile Gagnan.^[5] When invention Épaves, Cousteau could not dredge up the necessary blank reels be required of movie film, but had interrupt buy hundreds of small take time out camera film reels the tie in width, intended for a fabricate of child's camera, and at one`s wits` end them together to make progressive reels.^[6][7]

Having kept bonds with representation English speakers (he spent trace of his childhood in probity United States and usually support English) and with French lower ranks in North Africa (under Admiral Lemonnier), Jacques-Yves Cousteau (whose visit "Baobab" at Sanary (Var) was opposite Admiral Darlan's villa "Reine"), helped the French Navy see to join again with the Allies; he assembled a commando continue against the Italian espionage benefit in France, and received a few military decorations for his dealings. At that time, he unbroken his distance from his kin Pierre-Antoine Cousteau, a "pen anti-semite" who edited the collaborationist bat an eyelid Je suis partout (I thing everywhere) and who received birth death sentence in However, that was later commuted to grand life sentence, and Pierre-Antoine was released in

During the severe, Cousteau is credited with rising the Aqua-Lung design which gave birth to the open-circuit aqua-lung technology used today. According highlight his first book, The Implicit World: A Story of Underwater Discovery and Adventure (), Adventurer started diving with Fernez binoculars in , and in euphemistic preowned the self-contained underwater breathing rigging invented in by Commander Yves le Prieur.^[6] Cousteau was categorize satisfied with the length representative time he could spend undersea with the Le Prieur trappings so he improved it run into extend underwater duration by reckoning a demand regulator, invented bring in by Émile Gagnan.^[6] In Adventurer tried out the first norm Aqua-Lung which finally made long underwater exploration possible.

Late s: GERS and Élie Monnier

In , Cousteau and Tailliez showed dignity film Épaves ("Shipwrecks") to Admiral Lemonnier, who gave them greatness responsibility of setting up say publicly GRS (Groupement de Recherches Sous-marines, Underwater Research Group) of justness French Navy in Toulon. First-class little later it became high-mindedness GERS (Groupe d'Études et demote Recherches Sous-Marines, Underwater Studies talented Research Group), then the COMISMER (Commandement des Interventions Sous intend Mer, Undersea Interventions Command), extort finally the CEPHISMER (Centre Specialist Plongée Humaine et Intervention Sous la Mer, Expert Centre used for Human Diving and Undersea Intervention). In , Chief Petty OfficerMaurice Fargues became the first explorer to die using an Aqua-Lung, while attempting a new littlest record to &#;m with influence GERS near Toulon.^[8]

In , betwixt missions of mine clearance, submersed exploration and technological and physical tests, Cousteau undertook a control campaign in the Mediterranean muddle board the sloopÉlie Monnier,^[9][10] pick up again Philippe Tailliez, Frédéric Dumas, Dungaree Alinat and the scenario penny-a-liner Marcel Ichac. The small gang also undertook the exploration slope the Roman wreck of Mahdia (Tunisia). It was the gain victory underwater archaeology operation using selfreliant diving, opening the way on the road to scientific underwater archaeology. Cousteau discipline Marcel Ichac brought back reject there the Carnets diving fell (presented and preceded with honourableness Cannes Film Festival ).

Cousteau and the Élie Monnier proof took part in the save of Professor Jacques Piccard's submersible, the FNRS-2, during the trip to Dakar. Thanks to that rescue, the French Navy was able to reuse the passer-by of the bathyscaphe to unite the FNRS

The adventures clasp this period are told perform the two books The Tranquil World (, by Cousteau champion Dumas) and Plongées sans câble (, by Philippe Tailliez).

–s

In , Cousteau left the Land Navy.

In , he supported the French Oceanographic Campaigns (FOC), and leased a ship christened Calypso from Thomas Loel Stout for a symbolic one franc a year. Cousteau refitted nobleness Calypso as a mobile region for field research and although his principal vessel for swimming and filming. He also journey out underwater archaeological excavations deal the Mediterranean, in particular bear Grand-Congloué ().

With the book of his first book have , The Silent World, Explorer correctly predicted the existence take in the echolocation abilities of porpoises. He reported that his inquiry vessel, the Élie Monier, was heading to the Straits oppress Gibraltar and noticed a reserve of porpoises following them. Explorer changed course a few graduated system off the optimal course cause problems the center of the trough, and the porpoises followed acknowledge a few minutes, then diverged toward mid-channel again. It was evident that they knew disc the optimal course lay, uniform if the humans did shriek. Cousteau concluded that the cetaceans had something like sonar, which was a relatively new cape on submarines.

In , Explorer conducted a survey of Abu Dhabi waters on behalf surrounding British Petroleum. Among those attendant him was Louis Malle who made a black-and-white film lady the expedition for the company.^[11] Cousteau won the Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Commemoration in for The Silent World co-produced with Malle. In , Cousteau took over as chief of the Oceanographic Museum racket Monaco.^[2] Afterward, with the espousal of Jean Mollard, he sense a "diving saucer" SP, evocation experimental underwater vehicle which could reach a depth of meters. The successful experiment was fast repeated in with two vehicles which reached meters.

In , he was elected as principal of the Oceanographic Museum reduce speed Monaco.^[2] He directed Précontinent, study the experiments of diving hillock saturation (long-duration immersion, houses fall the sea), and was manifest to the United States Internal Academy of Sciences.

He was involved in the creation be proper of Confédération Mondiale des Activités Subaquatiques and served as its initial president from to ^[12]

Cousteau besides took part in inventing class "SP Denise Diving Saucer" make happen which was an invention appropriately for exploring the ocean boarding, as it allowed one hear explore on solid ground.^[2]

In Oct , a large amount disseminate radioactive waste was going interruption be discarded in the Sea Sea by the Commissariat à l'énergie atomique (CEA). The CEA argued that the dumps were experimental in nature, and stray French oceanographers such as Vsevolod Romanovsky had recommended it. Romanovsky and other French scientists, counting Louis Fage and Jacques Explorer, repudiated the claim, saying stray Romanovsky had in mind calligraphic much smaller amount. The CEA claimed that there was mini circulation (and hence little demand for concern) at the suggestion site between Nice and Corsica, but French public opinion crooked with the oceanographers rather puzzle with the CEA atomic drive scientists. The CEA chief, Francis Perrin, decided to postpone character dump.^[13] Cousteau organized a press campaign which in less mystify two weeks gained wide in favour support. The train carrying probity waste was stopped by detachment and children sitting on nobleness railway tracks, and it was sent back to its derivation.

In the s, Cousteau was involved with a set remind you of three projects to build submerged "villages"; the projects were christened Precontinent I, Precontinent II spell Precontinent III. Each ensuing scheme was aimed at increasing greatness depth at which people incessantly lived under water, and were an attempt at creating be over environment in which men could live and work on honourableness sea floor. The projects desire best known as Conshelf Distracted (), Conshelf II (), vital Conshelf III (). The defamation "Precontinent", and "Continental Shelf Station" (Conshelf) were used interchangeably offspring Cousteau.

A meeting with Dweller television companies (ABC, Métromédia, NBC) created the series The Nautical World of Jacques Cousteau, get a feel for the character of the head of state in the red bonnet inbred from standard diving dress honorary to give the films expert "personalized adventure" style. This film television series ran for 10 years from to A beyond documentary series, The Cousteau Odyssey, ran from to on warning sign television stations.

In , sharp-tasting wrote the book The Shark: Splendid Savage of the Sea with his son Philippe. Terminate this book, Cousteau described say publicly oceanic whitetip shark as "the most dangerous of all sharks".

In December , two days after the volcano's last bursting forth, The Cousteau Society was photography Voyage au bout du monde on Deception Island, Antarctica, during the time that Michel Laval, Calypso's second smother command, was struck and join by a rotor of honesty helicopter that was ferrying in the middle of Calypso and the island.^[14][15]

In , along with his two offspring and Frederick Hyman, he coined the Cousteau Society for excellence Protection of Ocean Life, Town Hyman being its first Headman.

In , John Denver unconfined the tribute song "Calypso" robust his album Windsong, and bid the B-side of his get trapped in song "I'm Sorry". "Calypso" became a hit on its sign and was later considered honourableness new A-side, reaching No. 2 on the charts.

In , Cousteau located the wreck rule HMHS Britannic, which had drowned on the 21st November abaft striking a mine in rectitude Kea Channel, the 3rd arena final of the three Olympic-class liners & the younger fille to the RMS Olympic professor RMS Titanic. He also harsh the wreck of the Nation 17th-century ship-of-the-line La Therese come by coastal waters of Crete.

In , together with Peter Thespian, he received the UN Pandemic Environment prize.

On 28 June , while the Calypso was on an expedition to Portugal, his second son Philippe, cap preferred and designated successor queue with whom he had co-produced all his films since , died in a PBY Catalina flying boat crash in justness Tagus river near Lisbon. Explorer was deeply affected. He hollered his eldest son, the originator Jean-Michel, to his side. That collaboration lasted 14 years.

–s

From to , he was well-organized regular on the animal circumstance show Those Amazing Animals, wayout with Burgess Meredith, Priscilla Presley, and Jim Stafford.

In , Cousteau traveled to Canada surrounding make two films on significance Saint Lawrence River and excellence Great Lakes, Cries from illustriousness Deep and St. Lawrence: Set of steps to the Sea.^[16]

From to , Cousteau released a series submit films on the Amazon work to rule TBS.^[17]

In , he received justness Presidential Medal of Freedom give birth to U.S. President Ronald Reagan. Of course also released Cousteau/Mississippi, which won a Primetime Emmy Award muster Outstanding Informational Special.^[18]

From to , Cousteau released Rediscovery of primacy World, also with TBS.

On 24 November , he was elected to the Académie française, chair 17, succeeding Jean Retard. His official reception under authority cupola took place on 22 June , the response summit his speech of reception career given by Bertrand Poirot-Delpech. Rear 1 his death, he was replaced by Érik Orsenna on 28 May

In June , glory composer Jean Michel Jarre compensated homage to the commander uninviting entitling his new album Waiting for Cousteau. He also well-adjusted the music for Cousteau's film "Palawan, the last refuge".

On 2 December , his helpmate, Simone Cousteau died of neoplasm. Six months later, in June , in Paris, Jacques-Yves Explorer remarried to Francine Triplet, continue living whom he had a conceit since the early s obscure two children, Diane (born nonthreatening person ) and Pierre-Yves (born remit ). Francine Cousteau currently continues her husband's work as integrity head of the Cousteau Initiate and Cousteau Society. From go wool-gathering point, the relations between Jacques-Yves and his elder son, who is 8 years older escape Francine, worsened.

In November , Cousteau gave an interview telling off the UNESCO Courier, in which he stated that he was in favour of human inhabitants control and population decrease. At large quoted on the Internet desire these two paragraphs from rendering interview: "What should we contractual obligation to eliminate suffering and disease? It's a wonderful idea on the contrary perhaps not altogether a useful one in the long race. If we try to tool it we may jeopardize ethics future of our speciesIt's serious to have to say that. World population must be stabilised and to do that awe must eliminate , people make a fuss of day. This is so awful to contemplate that we shouldn't even say it. But goodness general situation in which amazement are involved is lamentable".^[19]

In , he was invited to Metropolis de Janeiro, Brazil, for primacy United Nations' International Conference novelty Environment and Development, and next he became a regular authority for the UN and rectitude World Bank.

In , efficient brief biography, as well whereas an introduction by Cousteau was featured in interactive educational package program Undersea Adventure, developed stop former game developer Knowledge Show.

In , Cousteau became complicated in a legal battle drag his son Jean-Michel, who was advertising the "Cousteau Fiji Islands Resort" in the South Placid, to prevent him from the Cousteau name for transnational purposes in the United States.^[20] This resulted in Jean-Michel Explorer being ordered by the monotonous to not encourage confusion 'tween his for-profit business and empress father's non-profit endeavours.

On 11 January , Calypso was rammed and sunk in the agree to of Singapore by a hoy. The Calypso was refloated become more intense towed home to France.^[21]

Religious views

Archbishop Jean-Marie Lustiger celebrated his entombment Mass at Notre-Dame in Town. In his homily he alleged, "Without betraying any confidences, Papa Carré told me of emperor respect for Jacques-Yves Cousteau. Fair enough discovered in him a guy of prayer whom he attended in his last months clever his life, giving him, brushoff the sacraments of the Religion, the strength of his transit towards eternity."^[22]

In a chapter privileged "The Holy Scriptures and nobility Environment" in the posthumous check up The Human, the Orchid, vital the Octopus, he is quoted as stating that "The public of nature provides evidence ramble God exists".^[23]

Opinion on recreational fishing

Cousteau said that just because powerful are cold-blooded does not naked they do not feel hurt, and that recreational fishermen exclusive say so to reassure their conscience.^[24]

Death and legacy

Jacques-Yves Cousteau dreary of a heart attack classify 25 June in Paris, team a few weeks after his 87th wine and dine. He was buried in ethics family vault at Saint-André-de-Cubzac, surmount birthplace.^[25] An homage was receive to him by the locality by naming the street which runs out to the detached house of his birth "rue shelter Commandant Cousteau", where a remembrance plaque was placed.

Cousteau's present includes more than television documentaries, more than 50 books, stand for an environmental protection foundation large , members.^[1]

Cousteau liked to bellow himself an "oceanographic technician". Unquestionable was, in reality, a developing showman, teacher, and lover get through nature. His work permitted various people to explore the plea bargain of the oceans.

His have an effect also created a new pitiless of scientific communication, criticized daring act the time by some academics. The so-called "divulgationism", a intelligible way of sharing scientific concepts, was soon employed in bottle up disciplines and became one be in opposition to the most important characteristics rule modern television broadcasting.

His Oceanographic Museum in Monaco, and perchance even he himself,^[26][27] has antique identified as introducing the "Killer Algae" Caulerpa taxifolia, which sheer negatively affecting the Mediterranean's locale.

The Cousteau Society and warmth French counterpart, l'Équipe Cousteau, both of which Jacques-Yves Cousteau supported, are still active today. Nobility Society is currently attempting pick up turn the original Calypso jolt a museum and it deference raising funds to build adroit successor vessel, the Calypso II.

In , the International Turn of phrase Company introduced the IWC Aquatimer Chronograph "Cousteau Divers" Special Footprints. The timepiece incorporated a disintegrate of wood from the sentiment of Cousteau's Calypso research depression. Having developed the diver's gaze at, IWC offered support to Dignity Cousteau Society. The proceeds diverge the timepieces' sales were to a limited donated to the non-profit assemblage involved in conservation of seafaring life and preservation of allegorical coral reefs.^[28]

Fabien Cousteau, the grandson of Jacques Cousteau, is reconcile the process of constructing precise community of ocean flooring dialogue stations, called Proteus, off Curaçao at a depth of burden 20 m in a marine-protected area. Aquanauts could reside see work in these underwater habitats. Front-end engineering has started razorsharp with the habitat planned on the way to the sea bottom in ^[29]

In October , an underwater monument honoring Jacques Cousteau was to be found in the underwater dive protected area off Casino Point in Hereafter, California. In November , claim to deterioration, the plaque was replaced.^[30][31]

Awards and honors

During his period, Jacques-Yves Cousteau received these distinctions:

Filmography

Legend

Bibliography

• The Silent World (, with Frédéric Dumas)
• Captain Cousteaus Underwater Treasury (, with Crook Dugan)
• The Living Sea (, touch James Dugan)
• World Without Sun ()
• The Undersea Discoveries of Jacques-Yves Cousteau (–, 8-volumes, with Philippe Diolé)
  • The Shark: Splendid Savage elect the Sea ()
  • Diving for Submerged Treasure ()
  • Life and Death sully a Coral Sea ()
  • The Whale: Mighty Monarch of the Sea ()
  • Octopus and Squid: The Compressible Intelligence ()
  • Three Adventures: Galápagos, Titicaca, the Blue Holes ()
  • Diving Companions: Sea Lion, Elephant Seal, Walrus ()
  • Dolphins ()
• The Ocean World detail Jacques Cousteau (–78, 21 volumes)
  • Oasis in Space (vol 1)
  • The Act of Life (vol 2)
  • Quest for Food (vol 3)
  • Window make out the Sea (vol 4)
  • The Focal point of Motion (vol 5)
  • Attack squeeze Defense (vol 6)
  • Invisible Messages (vol 7)
  • Instinct and Intelligence (vol 8)
  • Pharaohs of the Sea (vol 9)
  • Mammals in the Sea (vol 10)
  • Provinces of the Sea (vol 11)
  • Man Re-Enters Sea (vol 12)
  • A Bounding main of Legends (vol 13)
  • Adventure deal in Life (vol 14)
  • Outer and Intervening Space (vol 15)
  • The Whitecaps (vol 16)
  • Riches of the Sea (vol 17)
  • Challenges of the Sea (vol 18)
  • The Sea in Danger (vol 19)
  • Guide to the Sea added Index (vol 20)
  • Calypso (, vol 21)
• A Bill of Rights espouse Future Generations ()
• Life at grandeur Bottom of the World ()
• The Cousteau United States Almanac resembling the Environment (, a.k.a. The Cousteau Almanac of nobleness Environment: An Inventory of Activity on a Water Planet)
• Jacques Cousteau's Calypso (, with Alexis Sivirine)
• Marine Life of the Caribbean (, with James Cribb and Clockmaker H. Suchanek)
• Jacques Cousteau's Amazon Journey (, with Mose Richards)
• Jacques Cousteau: The Ocean World ()
• The Whale (, with Philippe Diolé)
• Jacques Cousteau: Whales (, with Yves Paccalet)
• The Human, The Orchid and Glory Octopus (and Susan Schiefelbein, coauthor; Bloomsbury )

Media portrayals

Jacques Cousteau has been portrayed in films:

• The American comedy film The Insect Aquatic with Steve Zissou, tied by Wes Anderson and cheeriness released in December , portrays Steve Zissou, a fictional oceanographer strongly inspired by Jacques Cousteau.^[34][35][36]
• The French film The Odyssey, predestined by Jérôme Salle and good cheer released in October , focuses on Cousteau's life, especially with respect to his relation with his chief wife, Simone Melchior, and fillet second son, Philippe Cousteau.^{[37][38][35][36]}
• Jacques Adventurer was featured in Epic Tie Battle of History's sixth spell 1, and was portrayed by Tool Shukoff. He faced off realize Steve Irwin, portrayed by Player Ahlquist.
• Jacques Cousteau is depicted pretense the music video for honourableness Plastic Bertrand song titled “Jacques Cousteau.” In the video Jacques Cousteau is depicted as wear nautical attire and living make a fish bowl.
• Jacques Cousteau was briefly featured in the ebullient television series, "SpongeBob SquarePants", create the episode Spongebob's Big Observance Blowout. He was portrayed although the French Narrator who again and again speaks and/or makes appearances top the show.

See also

References