JACQUES-YVES COUSTEAU
Jacques Yves Cousteau Biography (1910-1997)
Jacques-Yves Cousteau is perhaps the most well-known modern scuba diver and
undersea explorer. He brought the world of undersea diving within the
capabilities of ordinary people by inventing (with Emile Gagnan) the aqualung in
1942. This self-contained underwater breathing apparatus (SCUBA) now enables
divers to remain under water for an hour or more instead of minutes. Also,
Cousteau helped design other diving equipment such as the two-person diving
saucer.His explorations, conducted from his famous oceanic ship Calypso, were
documented and earned him numerous honors and awards. Cousteau was born in1910
in St. Andre-de-Cubzak, France. He attended the Brest Naval Academy andbecame a
naval gunnery officer in 1933. At the age of 47, Cousteau retired from the navy
with the rank of corvette captain.
During World War II Cousteau co-invented the aqualung, a device that
providespressurized air to the diver while underwater. Before the aqualung,
divers had to wear heavy suits and fishbowl-like helmets that made swimming
nearly impossible. But Cousteau's invention helped popularize scuba diving by
providing far greater mobility for underwater exploration and leading to the
development of modern scuba gear.
After the war, Cousteau involved himself in a series of projects, exploring the
oceans, and designing and developing equipment for marine exploration.
Hedeveloped the Calypso underwater camera, a forerunner to today's Nikonos
camera. He participated in testing the bathyscaphe, a deep-diving vessel
invented by Swiss physicist Auguste Piccard. In 1959, he co-invented the first
exploration mini-submarine, the two person diving saucer, Soucoupe.
Diving research was another of Cousteau's many interests. Cousteau and Philippe
Taillez established the Undersea Research Group at Toulon which became Europe's
leading center for studying diving techniques and undersea living. Cousteau is
also known for developing early underwater habitats -- the Conshelf I, II, and
III -- located between 33 ft (10 m) and 330 ft (100 m) below the ocean surface,
and capable of sheltering people for prolonged periods of time.Cousteau's
documentary film, World Without Sun, which recorded man's first prolonged (30
days) stay in an undersea habitat, the Conshelf II, received an Oscar for Best
Documentary in 1964.
Cousteau did not consider himself a scientist, but rather, a filmmaker, explorer,
and environmentalist. He produced 65 films and lead over 80 expeditions.He won
awards at both the Cannes Film Festival and the Academy Awards for his 1956
feature film The Silent World. From the late 1950s on, he produced numerous
television programs, including The World of Jacques-Yves Cousteau and the series
called The Undersea World of Jacques Cousteau.He wrote, co-wrote, or edited 80
books about the oceans and his adventures in them. The last of these, his memoir
The Man, The Octopus, and the Orchid, was published just six days after his
death. In 1974, Cousteau foundedthe Cousteau Society, one of the world's largest
conservation groups. He spent much of his life trying to educate the public
about the importance of the marine environment, its vulnerability and beauty.
Jacques Yves Cousteau Biography (1910-1997)
Jacques-Yves Cousteau is perhaps the most well-known modern scuba diver and
undersea explorer. He brought the world of undersea diving within the
capabilities of ordinary people by inventing (with Emile Gagnan) the aqualung in
1942. This self-contained underwater breathing apparatus (SCUBA) now enables
divers to remain under water for an hour or more instead of minutes. Also,
Cousteau helped design other diving equipment such as the two-person diving
saucer.His explorations, conducted from his famous oceanic ship Calypso, were
documented and earned him numerous honors and awards. Cousteau was born in1910
in St. Andre-de-Cubzak, France. He attended the Brest Naval Academy andbecame a
naval gunnery officer in 1933. At the age of 47, Cousteau retired from the navy
with the rank of corvette captain.
During World War II Cousteau co-invented the aqualung, a device that
providespressurized air to the diver while underwater. Before the aqualung,
divers had to wear heavy suits and fishbowl-like helmets that made swimming
nearly impossible. But Cousteau's invention helped popularize scuba diving by
providing far greater mobility for underwater exploration and leading to the
development of modern scuba gear.
After the war, Cousteau involved himself in a series of projects, exploring the
oceans, and designing and developing equipment for marine exploration.
Hedeveloped the Calypso underwater camera, a forerunner to today's Nikonos
camera. He participated in testing the bathyscaphe, a deep-diving vessel
invented by Swiss physicist Auguste Piccard. In 1959, he co-invented the first
exploration mini-submarine, the two person diving saucer, Soucoupe.
Diving research was another of Cousteau's many interests. Cousteau and Philippe
Taillez established the Undersea Research Group at Toulon which became Europe's
leading center for studying diving techniques and undersea living. Cousteau is
also known for developing early underwater habitats -- the Conshelf I, II, and
III -- located between 33 ft (10 m) and 330 ft (100 m) below the ocean surface,
and capable of sheltering people for prolonged periods of time.Cousteau's
documentary film, World Without Sun, which recorded man's first prolonged (30
days) stay in an undersea habitat, the Conshelf II, received an Oscar for Best
Documentary in 1964.
Cousteau did not consider himself a scientist, but rather, a filmmaker, explorer,
and environmentalist. He produced 65 films and lead over 80 expeditions.He won
awards at both the Cannes Film Festival and the Academy Awards for his 1956
feature film The Silent World. From the late 1950s on, he produced numerous
television programs, including The World of Jacques-Yves Cousteau and the series
called The Undersea World of Jacques Cousteau.He wrote, co-wrote, or edited 80
books about the oceans and his adventures in them. The last of these, his memoir
The Man, The Octopus, and the Orchid, was published just six days after his
death. In 1974, Cousteau foundedthe Cousteau Society, one of the world's largest
conservation groups. He spent much of his life trying to educate the public
about the importance of the marine environment, its vulnerability and beauty.