Jacques-Yves Cousteau
(June 11, 1910, Saint-André-de-Cubzac, Bordeaux, France - June 25, 1997, Paris, France) - famous French explorer of the World Ocean, photographer, director, inventor, author of many books and films. He was a member of the French Academy. Commander of the Legion of Honor. Known as Captain Cousteau. Together with Emil Gagnan, he developed and tested scuba gear in 1943.
He was not a designer, scientist, architect, or filmmaker. But he created scuba gear, underwater archaeology, built underwater houses and shot films in the ocean depths that are loved all over the world. The inert scientific world arrogantly called Cousteau “ upstart oceanographer" And he, who always did not care about titles, degrees and authorities, called on humanity to settle into the depths of the World Ocean and did not hide the secret of his bright, adventurous and fruitful deeds: “ Only impossible missions bring success».
Biography
The famous oceanographer, crazy explorer and fearless traveler Jacques-Yves Cousteau was born on June 11, 1910 in Saint-André-de-Cubzac in the family of Daniel, the acting personal secretary of an American millionaire, and his mother, Elizabeth Cousteau. Due to Daniel's busy work schedule, the family had to change housing frequently, and in 1920 the Cousteaus moved to the United States of America. Jacques was uncomfortable outside his hometown - he felt like a native Frenchman, and his homeland was constantly calling him back. However, long trips around cities also had their positive sides - the boy could speak fluent English and German, and thanks to the trips his horizons expanded significantly. The family spent the summer on the shores of the Bay of Biscay, where he could swim to his heart's content. It was precisely this kind of childhood that forever instilled in Jacques the desire to visit every corner of the Earth.
In 1920, the boy passed a competition to the French Military Academy in Brest, after which he set off on a trip around the world on the ship "Jeanne d'Arc". Even then, Cousteau’s passion for the unexplored depths of the ocean was revealed - in every port the boy ran to the shore and spent a long time filming life by the water. Moreover, the diploma provided a great opportunity to travel through the sea valleys, and this greatly attracted Cousteau. Another passion of Jacques was videography, which subsequently became an integral part of his numerous studies. After graduating from the Military Academy, he decided to enter the Naval Aviation Academy. However, fate decreed otherwise - a terrible car accident put an end to Cousteau’s career as a pilot. The young man had numerous fractures and partial paralysis of his limbs, and during the rehabilitation period Cousteau needed to spend a lot of time in the water and actively swim in order to regain the mobility of his arms. Thanks to numerous trainings, Jacques’ health returned to relative normality, and the young man himself realized that the water element was his calling. Then he began working as an instructor on the cruiser Sufren. Also, a huge incentive for recovery was the first true love - Simone Melchior, whom Jacques married in 1937. The following year, the happy couple had their first child, son Jean-Michel.
In 1938, Jacques-Yves Cousteau, along with Frédéric Dumas and Philippe Taglier, began his marine explorations by diving into the water wearing a mask, fins and a snorkel. However, with such equipment it was difficult to remain at significant depths for a long time. Cousteau thought about a new underwater invention. Thus, a “miracle device” was soon introduced - “water lungs”, which received the simple name “scuba gear”. This new product, developed by Cousteau in collaboration with Emile Gagnan, opened the way to a comfortable future and enormous opportunities for exploring the very depths of the oceans. In 1940, Cousteau's second son, Philippe, was born. Jacques founded his own film studio, "United Sharks", which in the future produced a huge number of films about the underwater world and various travels of Cousteau. His debut in the world of cinema was the 18-minute film “8 Meters Under Water,” which consisted of excerpts from the dives of Cousteau, Didi and Taille. The war years passed, and Jacques' family had a hard time. For his special services, Cousteau was awarded the Order of the Legion of Honor in 1946, but his brother Pierre-Antoine faced the death penalty for collaborating with the newspaper "Jeu sui parte." And only thanks to his brother’s well-known name was he able to avoid enforcement of the sentence. In the early 50s, Jacques-Yves 
Cousteau rented an old British minesweeper, the Calypso, to outfit it as a research vessel for a symbolic franc a year. It was on it that the most famous dives of the researcher and his team were made - they visited the abyss of the Atlantic and Indian Oceans, as well as the Red and Black Seas. In 1953, Cousteau, together with his colleagues, edited the first documentary about his research - "The Silent World", which received the Palme d'Or and an Oscar. The film was a resounding success - after its premiere, the audience gave a standing ovation for half an hour. Film critics enthusiastically called this picture a work of the century. In 1957, Cousteau accepted a lucrative offer to become director of the Oceanographic Museum in Monaco and moved there with his entire family. It was there that he was able to devote himself fully to his careful research. In addition to active writing and filmmaking, the man became the founder of the extensive scientific program “Conshelf”. On a coral reef in the Red Sea, he built the so-called “Starfish” - a metal house for five aquanauts, and just below - an office for two people. In 1965, he also built a house in the shape of a ball, in which the researchers spent almost a month. In 1967, Jacques-Yves decided to work globally and explore the sea abysses of the World Ocean, and his ship Calypso, equipped with all the necessary equipment, set off on the exploration. This time the subject of their close attention was sharks, and the researcher shared his observations in the books “So that there are no secrets in the sea” and “Calypso and corals.”
Cousteau's team was interested not only in marine life, but also in underwater architecture. So, the team found several sunken ships near the island of St. Helena. A little later, in the 70s, Cousteau and his team went to the shores of Antarctica, where they began scientific research into the life of whales. At the same time, an unexpected break in work appeared - the ship received significant damage due to a collision with an iceberg. But Cousteau did not despair and during this period he made a documentary film about the life of an endangered species of aborigines, showing himself to be a competent ethnographer and anthropologist. After the ship was repaired, the expedition continued, and Cousteau’s new masterpiece, “The World Ocean,” was soon presented to the public. In 1973, Jacques founded the Cousteau Society, dedicated to the protection of the marine environment. 
1979 brought tragedy to the Cousteau family—the famous traveler’s youngest son, Philip, died. He followed in his father's footsteps, and Jacques even appointed him as his chief assistant in his research. But life dictated its own rules - Philip died in a plane crash on a Catalina seaplane, and his body was never found. At the same time, Cousteau began to have big financial problems in his foundation, and he had to ask his eldest son Jean-Michel to help get rid of debts in the amount of five million dollars. Moreover, several of his projects turned out to be failures, and finances were limited. Having recovered from grief, Cousteau continued his intense research activity, releasing numerous books and video masterpieces. In 1990, another tragedy awaited Cousteau - after a long illness from cancer, his wife Simone Cousteau, who was the only person who could cope with Jacques' explosive character, died from cancer. It was decided to scatter the ashes of the deceased over the sea near Monaco. Despite the bitterness of the loss, just six months later Cousteau had a new passion - former Air France flight attendant Francine Triplett. As it turned out, they had a long-standing relationship, and they were strengthened by two children - daughter Diana and son Pierre, born long before their marriage. Jacques-Yves did not think of giving up illegitimate children, so after the death of his first wife he quickly got married and gave his offspring a famous surname. At that time, the newly-made groom was already 80 years old, and the bride was 35 years younger than him. 
Jean-Michel had a strained relationship with his stepmother, and Cousteau Sr., before his death, transferred all his assets and rights to his products to his wife, and the son from his first marriage was prohibited from using his father’s famous surname for commercial purposes. Jean-Michel doubted that the former flight attendant would be able to run the entire business that Jacques-Yves Cousteau had been running for decades. Due to constant quarrels with his stepmother, the son and father's relationship completely deteriorated. On June 25, 1997, at the age of 87, Jacques-Yves Cousteau died. The cause of death was a complication of a respiratory disease and, as a consequence, myocardial infarction. The great explorer was buried in the family plot of the cemetery in Saint-André-de-Cubzac. After his death, Francine’s widow tried to revive Cousteau’s business, but it was all in vain, because such a person could not simply be replaced. Jacques-Yves Cousteau was unique in his kind, and such nuggets, perhaps, will no longer be in the world. Captain Cousteau was a versatile person - a teacher, an insatiable researcher, an anthropologist, an ethnographer, he lived in the water element and managed to make the whole world fall in love with it, and only Cousteau was able to reveal to us the secret of life in the depths.
Cousteau's world in cinema
In the early 40s, Cousteau created a film company called " United Sharks". Most of his films came out of its walls, the first of which was “8 meters under water.” In 1950, Cousteau began organizing underwater expeditions. It was then that the first underwater archaeological research was carried out and photographs of the seabed were obtained at a depth of 7250 m. In 1953, Cousteau received worldwide recognition as a writer. "The World of Silence" is the first book that opened the world of the ocean to the general public. Peru Cousteau owns dozens of books, he also made 104 films from the "Odyssey of the Cousteau Team" series. In 1954, Cousteau Together with cinematographer Louis Malem, they travel to the Red Sea and the Indian Ocean, where they begin filming the documentary series “The Odyssey of the Cousteau Team.” 
Later, a film was released that is still considered one of the best about underwater life - “Worlds of Silence.” Thanks to this work, the “blue continent” no longer attracted people with its mystery, but with the amazing diversity of the underwater world. Pictures from the bottom of the Mediterranean Sea, the Persian Gulf, the Red Sea and the Indian Ocean caused an incredible audience excitement, the film was awarded the Palme d'Or at Cannes and an Oscar. But still, official recognition of Cousteau’s discoveries and achievements came with his confirmation as director of the Oceanographic Museum in Monaco in 1957. 1960 brought new abundant income, which made it possible to provide financing for the multifaceted activities of companies subordinate to Cousteau, while he himself became interested in one extremely an ambitious project. It could be dubbed “Underwater Houses.”
Children of Jacques Yves Cousteau. He has two sons. Senior Jean-Michel in 1960 he became an architect. Soon he is already making several sketches for his father. The younger Philippe, having received his bachelor's degree in 1961, entered military service in the French Navy, and after some time he entered the Higher Cinematic Courses. He takes an active part in his father's research activities. In 1962, Jacques Cousteau begins his legendary experiment to study full life under water. We are talking about Operation Precontinent I, during which two swimmers, Albert Falco and Claude Wesley, will live for a week on the open sea opposite the coast of Marseille in an underwater house at a depth of 10 m and work at a depth of 25 m under water. The results of the work were encouraging, and in 1963 Operation Precontinent II was launched in the Red Sea, followed in 1965 by Precontinent III... Five people, including “veterans” of the first Precontinent, are participating in the second experiment and six are in the third. Among them is Philippe Cousteau. And if it is absolutely irrefutable that these experiments made it possible to achieve certain scientific and technical results, to better study the characteristics of the human psyche in a closed space at depth, then they were equally regarded by the authorities as too expensive. In the 70s, Cousteau created a society for the protection of the marine environment. He continued to make expeditions and actively explored unexplored areas of the world's oceans. 
Jacques Cousteau carried out his first project on October 12, 1983. Vessel " MOULIN A VENT"was launched, and Cousteau's team went to sea to conduct tests, as a result of which the theory was tested in practice. The basis was the hull of a catamaran, on the decks of which a platform with a sail-type turbo engine was installed. The entire operation to change the angle of inclination and the area of the sail was carried out from the captain's bridge by pressing the keys of electric drives. The ship's name "MOULIN A VENT" refers to the "Windmill" wine variety that was loved by the entire Cousteau team. On both sides of the hollow aerodynamic column there are metal meshes with a variable angle of inclination, made in the shape of semicircles, providing high resistance to wind flow inside the pipe. Due to the force of the wind when the fan unit is turned off, this design, even in a passive state, is 2 times more efficient than a simple sail. The efficiency of the installation was not long in coming; with a wind speed of 30 knots, the ship developed a speed of 11 knots. But soon the pipe could not withstand the strong storms of the Atlantic Ocean and broke, fortunately without consequences. The cause of the column's destruction was loose fasteners and instability of the old catamaran. Jacques Cousteau decided not to stop at the already positive result, and in May 1985 he created another ship called “ALCYONE”. The ocean-going vessel was named after the daughter of the Greek god of wind. The second ship project is also equipped with an aerodynamic installation. Taking into account previous trial and error, two columns were installed on the new ocean-going vessel. The tests took place along the route the port of La Rochelle - New York. 
Ocean ship " ALCYONE"became a real miracle of engineering. Crew members are accommodated in comfortable cabins. According to Captain Cousteau, the ship was so computerized that it could sail without any people at all. The cook has a well-equipped galley at his disposal. The speed capabilities of "ALCYONE" were amazing - 13 knots, with a wind speed of 20 knots. Electric motors consume only half the power produced by a wind generator. Depending on sea conditions, a diesel engine or a wind tunnel can be used.
Heritage
Cousteau liked to call himself an “oceanographic technician.” He was, in fact, an outstanding teacher and nature lover. His work opened up the Blue Continent to many people. His work also allowed for the creation of a new type of scientific communication, criticized by some academics at the time. So-called "divulgationism", a simple way of exchanging scientific concepts, soon began to be used in other disciplines and became one of the most important characteristics of modern television broadcasting. In 1950, he leased the ship Calypso from Thomas Loel Guinness for a symbolic one franc per year. The ship was equipped with a mobile laboratory for conducting research in the open ocean and underwater filming. Since 1957 he was director of the Oceanographic Museum of Monaco. In May 1985, Cousteau's team acquired another ship. This is a two-masted yacht "Alcyon" with an experimental turbosail that uses the Magnus effect to generate thrust.
Cousteau died on June 25, 1997. The Cousteau Society and its French partner Team Cousteau, founded by Jacques-Yves Cousteau, are still active today. In his final years, after his second marriage, Cousteau became involved in a legal battle with his son Jean-Michel over the use of the Cousteau name. By court order, Jean-Michel Cousteau was prohibited from causing confusion between his professional business and his father's non-profit endeavors.
Awards
Commander of the Legion of Honor
Knight Grand Cross of the National Order of Merit
Military Cross 1939–1945
Officer of the Order of Naval Merit
Commander of the Order of Arts and Letters
Jacques-Yves is a famous oceanographer, photographer, inventor (including the first scuba tank), and technician. In addition, this man is the author of many films and books. Today we will talk about what Jacques-Yves Cousteau is famous for.
Origin, childhood
The future ocean explorer was born on June 11, 1910 in France (Saint-André-de-Cubzac). Jacques-Yves's father was a lawyer. Cousteau made many trips in his youth and learned to swim from early childhood. However, due to his illness, he lost a lot of weight, so the doctor did not recommend the boy to do much physical activity.
The Cousteau family lived and worked in the United States from 1920 to 1922. Here Jacques-Yves learned English. These years of life were very eventful for Cousteau. Jacques-Yves Cousteau showed great interest in design and mechanics. At a summer scout camp, the future inventor made his first dives. Returning to France, he purchased the first movie camera and also designed a battery-powered car.
Studying at the academy, traveling
Jacques-Yves's training at the French Naval Academy dates back to the early 1930s. He was lucky, as his group went on a trip around the world on the ship "Joan of Arc". After some time, Jacques-Yves Cousteau ended up in Shanghai, at a naval base. A couple of years later, he also visited the USSR. In Soviet Jacques-Yves took a lot of photographs of the Union, but almost all of the photographs were confiscated from him.
Accident, work as an instructor, marriage
Cousteau wanted to become a pilot as a young man after completing his training at the Naval Aviation Academy. However, he was involved in a serious car accident and suffered many injuries, which forced him to give up this dream. Simone Melchior, Jacques-Yves's beloved girlfriend, helped him survive. In 1936, for the purpose of rehabilitation, Cousteau began working as an instructor on the cruiser Sufren. Here, in the port of Toulon, he explored the sea for the first time in his life wearing special glasses. Jacques-Yves realized that this was his destiny.
Cousteau married Simone Melchior (pictured above) in 1937. They had sons Philippe and Jean-Michel.
Snorkeling, founding of a film company and first films
Together with Philippe Taillet and Frédéric Dumas, Cousteau plunged into the water in 1938 with a snorkel, mask and fins. He later wrote of his first explorations of the ocean while wearing a mask that what greeted his eyes was a “stunning sight.”
Jacques-Yves became the founder of a film company called Shark Association in the early 1940s. In 1942, Cousteau's 18-minute film "8 Meters Under Water" appeared. It became one of Jacques-Yves' first paintings about the underwater world. Cousteau participated in the resistance movement in France during World War II.
Inventions of Jacques-Yves Cousteau
Speaking about what Jacques-Yves Cousteau is famous for, one cannot help but talk about many of them - the creation of scuba gear. In 1943, the first prototype was tested. And it was successful. This model was developed by Jacques-Yves together with Emile Gagnan. In 1946, mass production of scuba gear began. During his lifetime, Jacques-Yves Cousteau also created lighting fixtures, an underwater television system and the SP350 (“diving saucer”), a small submarine with good maneuverability. It was intended for scientific exploration of the depths of the ocean. On behalf of the French Navy, immediately after the end of the war, Cousteau founded a school of scuba divers. Somewhat later, Jacques-Yves Cousteau became the head of the French Center for Underwater Research.
"Calypso"
In the early 1950s, this ship, which previously belonged to the British Royal Navy, but was decommissioned, became Jacques-Yves' naval "base". Cousteau converted it into a mobile laboratory. After this, Jacques-Yves Cousteau began to carry out research on it in the ocean. The discoveries he made on this ship are numerous. One of the first achievements made on the Calypso was photographing the seabed at depths of up to 7.2 km. Jacques-Yves was often accompanied by his wife on expeditions. And his sons, Philippe and Jacques-Michel, worked as cabin boys.
The first book, new films and world fame
By the beginning of the 1950s, Jacques-Yves Cousteau had already accumulated significant experience in studying the ocean. His research was to become public knowledge. To this end, Cousteau, together with Frederic Dumas, wrote a book in 1953 called “In a World of Silence.” In it, for the first time, readers were introduced to the world of the ocean, to the study of which Jacques-Yves Cousteau devoted many years of his life. The film based on this book, released in 1956, won an Oscar. It immediately brought world fame to its authors. Cousteau traveled across the Indian Ocean and Red Sea in 1954. The result of this expedition was the series known to many of us - “The Odyssey of the Cousteau Team.” This is what Jacques-Yves Cousteau is famous for throughout the world. The underwater explorer in 1957 became the director of the
"Underwater Houses" and "Cousteau Society"
The development of "Underwater Houses", an ambitious project of this researcher, dates back to the 1960s. Its implementation was the 1963 operation "Precontinent II" and 1965 "Precontinent III".
But we haven’t told you everything about what Jacques-Yves Cousteau is famous for. This researcher was a prominent public figure. In 1973, Jacques-Yves created the non-profit organization Cousteau Society, whose goal is to protect the marine environment.
The researcher carried out his expeditions, studying unknown zones of the World Ocean. Jacques-Yves designed new types of ships that are environmentally friendly. In 1985, its “fleet” was replenished with the yacht ALCYONE, which moves thanks to an electric wind system. In 1979, during the filming of another film, Jacques-Yves' youngest son, Philippe, died.
Cousteau Foundation, expedition to Antarctica, marriage to Triplett
In 1981, the Cousteau Foundation was created in Paris. Nine years later, the researcher went on an expedition to Antarctica. He took six children with him (one representative from each continent) so that the whole world could see that the Antarctic nature should be preserved for the younger generation.
In 1990, Simone, Cousteau's wife, died of cancer. A year after her death, Jacques-Yves married for the second time. Francine became his wife; even before marriage, she bore him a son, Pierre, and a daughter, Diana.
"Calypso-2"
The Calypso sank in 1996 as a result of a collision with a barge. This happened in the port of Singapore. The ship could not be restored. After some time, it was exhibited in the museum of La Rochelle. After its breakdown, Jacques-Yves Cousteau began construction of Calypso-2. His biography is marked by many sea expeditions carried out together with the crew on board this ship.
Death
The researcher died at the age of 87 on June 25, 1997. Death occurred after suffering from a respiratory illness that occurred with complications. Jacques-Yves died of a myocardial infarction. This happened in Bordeaux (France). He was buried in the Saint-André-de-Cubzac cemetery.
Jacques-Yves has received many different awards for his research. Among them, the Order of the Legion of Honor, which was received by Jacques-Yves Cousteau, was especially valuable. The books of his authorship, which are considered the most famous, are the following: “The Living Sea”, “The Life and Death of Corals”, “In a World of Silence”, “Sunken Treasures”, “A World Without Sun”, etc.
The Jacques-Yves case continues
And today the “Cousteau Team” and the “Cousteau Society” are working - organizations created by him. His children and grandchildren continue the work of the researcher, studying the World Ocean. Jean-Michel, his son, is an environmentalist, researcher, film producer, and teacher. His grandson Fabien (pictured below) also followed in his grandfather’s footsteps. He decided to become an oceanographer. In honor of Jacques-Yves, he undertook a 31-day underwater scientific expedition in 2014.
The dive took place at the Aquarius station. Thus, today the important work for humanity that Jacques-Yves Cousteau began continues. His biography inspires many people to explore the depths of the ocean and protect the environment.
French naval officer, explorer and filmmaker Jacques-Yves Cousteau helped millions of people learn about what was happening beneath the surface of the ocean. So how well do you know the man in the wetsuit? June 11, 2015 - 105th Birthday of Jacques-Yves Cousteau, let's take a look at five things you might not know about the master of the deep sea.
1. INITIALLY HE WANTED TO FLY
In young age Cousteau joined the French navy, but diving was never part of his plans, both life and work. Instead, Cousteau planned to become a naval aviator. But his dream died when Cousteau was involved in a serious car accident in 1936. A young pilot borrowed his father's Salmson sports car to go to a wedding and got into a terrible accident when the headlights were blocked on the road at night. Cousteau was so seriously injured in the accident that it seemed impossible to restore his training.
Cousteau needed a way to repair and strengthen his broken arms. That is why, as training, he began swimming in the ocean. In the same year, Cousteau took his first scuba dive wearing scuba goggles and he knew he had found his calling.
2. HE HAD A SECRET FAMILY
Soon after Cousteau Having discovered his love for the underwater world, he also declared his love for Simone Melchior. They married in 1937, and Simone was never in the shadow of Jacques' life. She sailed with him on expeditions on his ship Calypso, helped him secure financing for new projects, and even sold her family jewels to help buy fuel for the ship. Simone looked after the Calypso crew so well that the crew nicknamed her "La Bergere" or "The Shepherdess".
Jacques Cousteau with his first wife
A story worthy of a romance novel, isn't it? Imagine how surprised everyone was when in 1991 he announced that he not only had a mistress, but also a secret family. A year after Simone died of cancer, Cousteau told the world about his long affair with Francine Triplett, who was 30 years his junior. He also stated that he had two secret children from this relationship. Later Cousteau married Triplett.
3. HE PROBABLY WOULD LIKE YOU TO DRINK GUINNESS
Famous ship Jacques-Yves Cousteau The Calypso was originally a British minesweeper during the Second World War, and after the end of the conflict it became a ferry in Malta. In 1950, Irish millionaire Thomas Loel Guinness, a descendant of a legendary brewing family, bought the ship. For Guinness, this ship was not an expensive purchase, so he did not bargain for it for a long time. He rented it to Cousteau at a very attractive price: one franc per year.
"Calypso"
The ship was in fairly poor condition before the moment that made it famous. In January 1996, Calypso was in Singapore when it was accidentally rammed by a barge. The ship sank and had to be pulled out of the water by crane for extensive restoration in the future. After Cousteau's death in 1997, two branches of his family fought a bitter battle over the ship's future. He is currently still recovering. And this is quite an expensive idea!
4. HE BECAME FRIENDS WITH CASTRO
In 1985, he and his team decided to travel to Cuba to explore the country's unique marine system and also build a picture of the lobster population. And while there, Cousteau dined on his ship with Fidel Castro. And Cousteau seemed to really like Castro: the dictator allowed the diver to free 80 political prisoners. But his team also had another unique honor: They became the first non-Cubans in 24 years since the Cuban Missile Crisis to be allowed through the gates of the U.S. Navy installation at Guantanamo Bay.
5. HE WANTED WATER WORLD TO BE A REALITY
Perhaps he became one of the inventors of scuba gear, and was the most famous diver in history, but he dreamed that one fine day his invention would no longer be necessary. In a 1960 interview with Time magazine Cousteau predicted that in the future, medical science would advance to the point where people could be surgically implanted with gills that would allow them to live underwater. Cousteau believed that if surgery could be improved, then a subsequent procedure could be possible that would remove the gills and allow a person to return to normal life on earth again. He told the magazine: “Everything that was done on the surface will sooner or later be done under water. This will be the conquest of a whole new world."
We are sure that this man in the funny red cap was hiding many more secrets on his ship. Will we recognize them, who knows? But thanks Jacques-Yves Cousteau, we already know a lot more about the ocean.
Main events
in 1943, together with Emil Gagnan, he invented and tested scuba gear
Top career
oceanographer, photographer, writer, film director, inventor
Commander of the Legion of Honor
Knight Grand Cross of the National Order of Merit
Military Cross 1939-1945
Officer of the Order of Naval Merit
Commander of the Order of Arts and Letters
Jacques-Yves Cousteau(fr. Jacques-Yves Cousteau; June 11, 1910, Saint-André-de-Cubzac, Bordeaux, France - June 25, 1997, Paris, France) - French explorer of the World Ocean, photographer, director, inventor, author of many books and films. He was a member of the French Academy. Commander of the Legion of Honor. Known as Captain Cousteau
Biography
early years
Jacques Yves was born in 1910 near Bordeaux in a town with the long name of Saint-André-de-Cubza in the family of lawyer Daniel Cousteau and housewife Elizabeth Cousteau. His father traveled a lot not only in France, but also abroad. Thanks to this, Jacques visited New York and Alsace, where he learned English and German. Due to moving, the boy studied at different schools. After receiving his certificate, he decided to connect his life with the navy and entered the Naval Academy. Despite the unsystematic nature of his secondary education, Cousteau passed the exams with flying colors and passed the competition - he was 22nd on the list of thousands of candidates applying for a place at the academy. While studying on the ship "Joan of Arc" he managed to circumnavigate the world. However, at that time the young man had not yet thought about traveling, especially for the purpose of research.
Military service
in 1930, Cousteau entered the Brest Naval School. He graduated from the military academy with the rank of ensign, and was assigned to a naval base in Shanghai. During World War II, Jacques Cousteau served in the artillery as a machine gunner, was a fighter of the French resistance, in particular, in the territory of France occupied by fascist troops in the city of Toulon, together with resistance scouts, he entered the commandant's office and stole important documents. At the end of the war, he was awarded the Order of the Holy Legion for his active participation in the anti-fascist partisan struggle.
Stages of life
In 1935, Jacques Cousteau decided to go to the Naval Aviation Academy, but he got into a car accident and had to give up aviation. Cousteau broke the fingers on his left hand, several ribs, and his right arm was paralyzed and his lungs were also damaged. He has to spend eight months undergoing intensive physical therapy. To recover, in 1936 he became an instructor on the cruiser "Sufren", assigned to the port of Toulon.
In 1936, Jacques-Yves swims underwater for the first time with goggles. Amazed by what he sees, he decides to devote his life to underwater research.
In 1937, he married Simone Melichor and soon they had two sons, Jean-Michel (in 1938) and Philippe (in 1940).
In 1943, working in the difficult conditions of German-occupied France, Jacques Cousteau and Emile Gagnan invented the first safe and effective apparatus for breathing under water, called aqualung (from Latin aqua, water + English lung, lung = aqua-lung, “water lung”) "), which Cousteau later successfully used to dive to depths of up to 60 meters without any harmful consequences. This invention has become truly legendary. In 1946, the production of scuba gear was launched on an industrial scale.
In 1948, Cousteau became captain of a corvette, and in 1950, he took delivery of a decommissioned British destroyer and converted it into a floating research laboratory, which became internationally known as the Calypso. Jacques-Yves converted the ship into an expedition vessel. The ship now has a landing pad for a helicopter, scientific equipment, a compartment for underwater observation, one- and two-seat mini submarines, underwater motorcycles and dozens of scuba gear. It was on board the Calypso that the famous captain made many oceanographic expeditions to the Atlantic, Indian Oceans, Red, Black, Arabian Seas and the Persian Gulf.
In 1953, Jacques Yves gained worldwide recognition as a writer. Captain Cousteau published his first book, "The Silent World", and two years later it was filmed. The triumph of the film was unimaginable: the audience gave a standing ovation for more than half an hour, and the press called it the work of the century. The Palme d'Or at Cannes and the Oscar were received unconditionally.
In 1956, Jacques Cousteau retired from the French Navy with the rank of captain.
In 1957, Cousteau was appointed director of the Oceanographic Museum in Monaco.
In 1959, Captain Cousteau took part in the creation and construction of the “diving saucer” sp350, the first small submarine for scientific work in the ocean. it can accommodate two people, can be used to conduct observations and filming at a depth of about 370 meters, and the “diving saucer” allows it to go even deeper and conduct research underwater for even longer than before.
In 1961, US President John Kennedy awarded Captain Cousteau the Gold Medal of the National Geographic Society. The medal is engraved with the words: “To the man of the earth who gave people the key to the world of silence.”
From 1962 to 1965, the captain and his friends conducted the first experiments to study the possibility of living under water. Team members work from one to four weeks in the so-called underwater houses they design.
In 1968, the United States premiered a new television series, “The Underwater World of Jacques Cousteau,” dedicated to the beauty of the deep sea. Several programs receive awards Emmy.
In 1973, the Cousteau Society was formed in the United States to maintain and protect the earth's natural resources. In the same year, the captain conducts several large expeditions to capture the harsh beauty of Antarctica.
In 1979, the youngest son Philippe Cousteau died. He participated in filming on a Catalina seaplane and, during splashdown, the plane fell into the sea.
In 1981, the Cousteau Foundation was created in Paris. The captain assembles a multinational team of scientists to study the Amazon River basin. In 1985, having made the first transatlantic crossing on his newest ship, the Halcyone, which moves using an electric wind propulsion system, Captain Cousteau arrives in New York. And after which both of his ships are sent on a ten-year expedition around the world, and the captain receives the “Medal of Freedom” from the hands of US President Ronald Reagan
In December 1990, Jacques-Yves's wife, Simone Cousteau, suddenly died of cancer. a year later, the famous captain married his longtime lover Francine Triplett. By that time they already had a daughter, Diana (b. 1980), and a son, Pierre (b. 1982), born before their marriage
In 1990, Cousteau's team, in order to draw the world's attention to the fact that the unique nature of Antarctica should be preserved for future generations, brought 6 children (one from each continent) to Antarctica
In 1994, Cousteau's team went on a scientific expedition to the unique people of the island of Madagascar.
In 1996, in the port of Singapore, the Calypso ship was hit by a barge and sank. When the ship was raised from the bottom, it turned out that it was impossible to restore it for further oceanographic work. And at the same time, a large campaign was launched to build a new ship, Calypso-2.
Jacques Cousteau died in Paris on June 25, 1997, at the age of 87, from a myocardial infarction and was buried in the Saint-André-De-Cubzac cemetery.
Impact on descendants
Jacques Cousteau discovered the “blue continent” for many people. His work also allowed for the creation of a new type of scientific communication, criticized by some academics at the time. The legendary ship "Calypso" retired and was placed in the maritime museum of La Rochelle. In accordance with the captain's wishes, the Calypso became an integral part of the museum, proving that Cousteau's work continues to live on, so the crew happily and gratefully provided equipment and other items related to the captain's life and work for display. To protect the most vulnerable water areas around the world, the Cousteau Society developed and is implementing the Water of the World Project. They hope that the peoples of the planet will take an active part in the implementation of the “water of the world” project, and in a few years a whole network of “Cousteau zones” will be created on earth. 1998 was proclaimed by the UN General Assembly as the International Year of the Ocean. Together with the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission of UNESCO, the Cousteau Society is working on several projects. One of them is a research expedition to the Caspian Sea, the natural uniqueness and environmental problems of which are well known. In November 2003, the Alciona ship left the port of Monaco and headed for the shores of the Red Sea. The purpose of the expedition of the Cousteau Society, which lasted several months, was to study the ecological state of the Sudanese coast and measures for its protection. With particular trepidation, its participants visited the places where in 1955 and 1963 Jacques-Yves Cousteau filmed the films “In a World of Silence” and “A World Without Sun”.
Jacques-Yves Cousteau is a French explorer of the World Ocean, director of the popular science film “Underwater Odyssey,” inventor of scuba gear, and author of many books about the underwater world. Friends and acquaintances called him Captain Cousteau. In general, it can be argued that this man’s work opened up the “blue continent” for many people.
Oceanologist Jacques-Yves Cousteau
Jacques-Yves was born on the outskirts of Bordeaux, in a small town called Saint-André-de-Cubzac. His father Daniel was a lawyer, known throughout the country as the youngest lawyer to receive a doctorate. The boy's mother, Elizabeth, came from a family of pharmacists, but she herself took care of the housework and education of Jacques-Yves and his older brother Pierre-Antoine.
The family lived permanently in Paris, but traveled a lot. While on vacation at sea, Cousteau Jr. learned to swim and fell in love with water forever. By the way, at the age of 7, the child was diagnosed with an incurable chronic enteritis, because of which he remained thin for the rest of his life.
After World War I, the Cousteau family moved to the United States, where Jacques-Yves became interested in mechanics and invention, and also made his first dive under water. After returning to Paris, the 13-year-old boy built a working model of a car, the engine of which was powered by a battery, and also began filming the world around him with his own movie camera.
The teenager was interested in so many things that he simply had no time left for school lessons. Therefore, the parents sent their son to a closed boarding school, from which he graduated with honors.
Then there was the Naval Academy and service in Shanghai. One day he saw scuba diving goggles in a roadside shop. Having tried them, Jacques-Yves realized what he was going to devote his life to.
Movies and books
In the early 50s, Jacques-Yves Cousteau rented an old decommissioned minesweeper from the British Royal Navy, named it Calypso, and began exploring the ocean. The result of the expedition was the popular science book “In the World of Silence,” published in 1953. It brought Cousteau worldwide recognition, and the film based on it instantly made him a legend of the documentary genre. The film “In a Silent World” was awarded the Oscar and Palme d’Or awards.
The debut film was followed by such films as “Golden Fish” and “A World Without Sun”, and then the series “Underwater Odyssey of the Cousteau Team” appeared, which was released on screens for a total of 20 years. In addition to him, Jacques-Yves made such series of films about the oceans, seas, rivers and their inhabitants as “Oasis in Space”, “Adventures in North America”, “Amazon”, “Rediscovery of the World” and many others.
These films were a huge success because they allowed people to look into places that were usually inaccessible to them. But not all experts approved of Cousteau's work. It has been criticized many times for its pseudoscience and especially for its cruelty to fish.
Thus, his colleague Wolfgang Auer argued that many of the murders and cruelties against fish were purposeful and were done by Cousteau for high-quality shots in his films. Also, sometimes Jacques-Yves was accused of fake footage, for example, people leaving the submersible into a deep-sea cave, where the atmosphere is usually unsuitable for breathing.
Inventions
At first, Jacques-Yves Cousteau dived underwater using a mask and snorkel, but then he, together with his friend Emile Gagnan, developed a device that allowed him to breathe deep underwater. The world's first scuba gear was tested by him in 1938 and helped not only Cousteau, but also many scientists to better understand the underwater world.
Today, filming underwater probably doesn’t look like something supernatural, but before Jacques-Yves, no one could have imagined this. It was he who developed a waterproof camera and lighting device, and later made the first television system capable of shooting video at great depths.
The French researcher also has a theory that porpoises have phenomenal echolocation abilities, that is, these animals sense the optimal path through the water. This theory was later proven by professional biologists.
And thanks to his popular science books and films, Cousteau became the progenitor of a new method of television communication - divulgationism, that is, an exchange of opinions between professionals and an audience of ordinary interested people. Today, all modern talk shows and other television projects are built using this technology, for which we must thank, again, the French oceanographer.
Personal life
Jacques-Yves Cousteau first married in 1937 to Simone Melchior, the daughter of the legendary French admiral. Simone took part in most of her husband’s expeditions, and the crew of the minesweeper “Calypso” came up with the affectionate nickname “Shepherdess” for her.
The couple had two sons - Jean-Michel and Philippe, who died in 1979 during the Catalina plane crash. After this tragedy, the relationship between Jacques-Yves and Simone went wrong. They began to live separately, but never officially divorced.
When Simone Melchior died of cancer in 1991, Cousteau married Francine Triplett, with whom he had been living for more than 10 years by that time and raising children together - daughter Diana and son Pierre.
By the way, due to his remarriage, his relationship with his eldest son Jean-Michel completely deteriorated, and he even legally prohibited him from using the Cousteau surname for his commercial activities.
Death
Jacques-Yves Cousteau died on June 25, 1997 from a myocardial infarction. The body of the great scientist was buried in the family plot in the Saint-André-de-Cubzac cemetery, where all his ancestors are buried. But his research activities did not stop. The “Team Cousteau” society he founded is still active.
It is interesting that the memory of Jacques-Yves Cousteau is captured not only in France, but also in Russia. For example, one of the secondary schools in St. Petersburg with in-depth study of the French language is named after him.
Filmography
- 1956 - “In a World of Silence”
- 1958 - “Golden Fish”
- 1965 - “A World Without Sun”
- 1966-1985 - “The Underwater Odyssey of the Cousteau Team”
- 1975 - “Journey to the End of the World”
- 1977 - “Oasis in Space”
- 1981-1982 - “Adventures in North America”
- 1982-1985 - “Amazon”
- 1986-1999 - “Rediscovery of the world”
- 1995 - “The Legend of Calypso”
Bibliography
- 1953 - “In a World of Silence”
- 1963 - “The Living Sea”
- 1965 - “A World Without Sun”
- 1970 - “Shark: The Brilliant Barbarian of the Seas”
- 1971 - “The Life and Death of Corals”
- 1972 - “The Mighty Lord of the Seas”
- 1975 - "Dolphins"
- 1979 - “Life on the edge of the earth”
- 1984 - “Journey to the Amazon by Jacques Cousteau”
- 1985 - “Jacques Cousteau: Ocean World”