Jacques-Yves Cousteau

Jacques-Yves Cousteau (June 11th 1910, Saint-Andre-with-Cubzac, France - June 25th 1997, Paris), alias JYC, the Commander Cousteau or the Pasha, officer in the French navy, oceanographer, internationally known like the commander of the Calypso.

Biography

Youth and beginnings of career

Wire of an international lawyer, small son of a notary of Bordeaux, and brother of the writer collaborationnist Pierre-Antoine Cousteau, Jacques-Yves Cousteau discovers the sea in the creeks close to Marseilles where its family settled. In 1930, after having made its preparatory studies with the prestigious Stanislas College of Paris, it enters to the Naval college of Brest and becomes officer gunner. It is in Toulon, where it is affected on the " Condorcet" , that Cousteau at the time of making its first underwater experiments, thanks to his/her friend Philippe Cut. In 1936, this last lends underwater glasses Fernez to him, ancestors of the modern diving masks. Cousteau also belongs to the intelligence service of the French Marine and for this reason, will be sent on mission to Shanghai and Japan (1938) and in the USSR (1939).

Married the July 12th 1937 with Simone Nickel silver, girl of a framework of Liquid air, they will have two children, Jean-Michel Cousteau (1938) and Philippe Cousteau (1940), which will take part in the adventure of Calypso.

The invention of modern deep-sea diving (1943)

The years of the Second world war are decisive for the history of the diving. After the armistice of 1940, the family of Simone and Jacques-Yves Cousteau take refuge with Megève, where it binds friendship with the Ichac family which also saw there. Jacques-Yves Cousteau and Marcel Ichac share the same will to make discover with the general public of the unknown and inaccessible places: for the first the underwater world, the second the high mountain. The two neighbors will take down the first price ex-aequo Congress of documentary film of 1943, for first French underwater film: " By eighteen meters basic " , turned in apnea the previous year in Embiez (VAr) with Philippe Cut and Frederic Dumas, without forgetting the played central role, as originator of the tight case of camera and cameraman, by the Mechanical engineer Leon Vèche (Engineer of Arts and Métiers and the Naval college). In 1943, it will be " Stray " , with the support of the Marseilles company of reinflation " Marcellin": for this occasion, Cousteau and the engineer Emile Gagnan invent the Aqualung modern. It is of the improvement and the modernization of inventions of the 19th century (Rouquayrol and Denayrouze) and of the beginning of the 20th century (the Prior). The patent which it Co-will deposit for this invention will put it at the shelter of the need for the remainder for its life.

Having kept bonds with the Anglo-Saxons (it passed part of its childhood to the United States and speaks usually English) and with the gaullists (admiral Lemonnier), Jacques-Yves Cousteau of which the villa " Baobab" in Sanary (VAr) is opposite the villa " Reine" of the admiral Darlan, demene to help the French Navy to join again with the Allies; it assembles an operation commando against the Italian services of espionage to France, and will receive several military decorations for acts of war. At that time, it takes its distances with his brother Pierre-Antoine, a “anti-semite of feather” writer of the newspaper collaborationnist I am everywhere , and which will be condemned to died in 1946.

GERS and the Élie Monnier (1946-1949)

In 1946, Cousteau and Tailliez show with the admiral Lemonnier the film " Epaves" , and the admiral the responsibility of set up Grouping of Underwater Research (GRS) of the National marine at Toulon, become a little later G.E.R.S. (Group of Studies and Underwater Research), then COMISMER (Command of the Interventions Under the SEA) and finally more recently CEPHISMER.

In 1948, between missions of mine clearance, underwater exploration and technological and physiological tests, Cousteau undertakes a first campaign in the Mediterranean on board the Elie Monnier , sloop bases Groupe of Study and Underwater Research (GERS) of the National marine, with Philippe Tailliez, Frederic Dumas, Jean Alinat and the scenario writer Marcel Ichac. It takes part then in the rescue of the Bathyscaphe of Professor Jacques Piccard, FNRS II, during the forwarding of 1949 with Dakar. Thanks to this rescue, the National marine will be able to re-use the sphere of the bathyscaphe to carry out FNRS III.

The small team undertakes also the exploration of the Roman wreck of Mahdia (Tunisia). It is the first operation of underwater Archéologie using the autonomous diving, opening the way with a underwater Archéologie scientific. Cousteau and the scenario writer Marcel Ichac brings back from there the film Carnet of diving (presented and preceded with the Cannes festival 1951).

The adventures of this period are told in the two books the world of Silence of Cousteau and Plongées without cable of Philippe Tailliez.

The French Calypso and oceanographical Campaigns (1950)

  • In 1949, Cousteau leaves the Navy to found the French oceanographical Campagnes (COF) in 1950. The brewer Loël Guiness buys to him his famous boat, the Calypso, with which he traverses the most interesting seas of planet as well as the rivers and the rivers. He carries out also underwater Fouille S archaeological in the Mediterranean, in particular with the Large-Congloué (1952).

During its voyages, it produces many films (it obtains the gold Palm to the Cannes festival in 1956 for Le Monde of silence corealized with Louis Malle) and of the books which contributed to diffuse, with a popularity without precedent, the knowledge of the underwater Biologie.

With the assistance of Jean Mollard, it creates the plunging saucer SP-350, an extraordinary vehicle underwater 2 places which can reach a depth of -350  Mr. the successful experience is quickly repeated in 1965 with two vehicles which reach -500  Mr.

In 1957, it is elected with the direction of the oceanographical Musée of Monaco. It directed Précontinent, of the experiments of diving in saturation (immersion of long life, houses under the sea), and was one from rare abroad admitted with the Academy of Science of the the United States of America.

The popularity of Jacques-Yves Cousteau grew. In October 1960, a large volume of radioactive waste was to be immersed at sea the Mediterranean by ECA. The Commander Cousteau organized a press campaign which in less than two weeks raised the population. The train of waste was stopped by " sit-in" women, men and children who obliged it to turn over to his starting point. The risk was isolated.

In Monaco in the month of November 1960, the official visit of the French president Charles de Gaulle became famous because of their exchange in connection with the incidents of October and more largely in connection with the nuclear experiments. The ambassador of France had suggested with prince Rainier avoiding any meeting, prince Rainier maintains the presence of Cousteau at the time of the visit of the oceanographical Museum. The president asked in a friendly way the commander to be nice with his atomic scientists, this one answered him: “ is with your nuclear physicists to be nice with us ”. In the discussion which followed, Jacques-Yves Cousteau deplored that the American decision not to share the nuclear secrecies with France (for fear certain French scientists, rejoined with Communism, do not communicate them in the USSR) decided France to undertake its own research and nuclear experiments.

The meeting with American television (ABC, Métromédia, NBC) creates the series '" The underwater odyssey of the Commander Cousteau" , with the character of the commander to the red bonnet (bonnet inherited the divers " feet-lourds") intended to give to films a style " adventures personnalisées" rather than " documentary didactiques". On their subject, Cousteau explained: " people protect and respect what they like, and to make them like the sea, they should be filled with wonder as much as the informer".

In 1974, it creates The Cousteau Society in the United States of America, dedicated to the protection and the improvement of the quality of the life for the present generations and future. It is strong of more than 100.000 members.

In 1977, it receives with Peter Scott the price of the the United Nations for the environment. In 1985, the medal of freedom ( Presidential Medal off Freedom ) is decreed to him, given by Ronald Reagan, then president of the the United States.

The June 28th 1979, during a forwarding of the Calypso to the Portugal, its second wire, Philippe, its preferred and his designated successor, with which it coproduisait all its films since 1969, dies crossed by the propeller of its Catalina seaplane. Cousteau will be deeply affected. It calls then his oldest son, the architect Jean-Michel Cousteau, at his sides. This collaboration will last 14 years.

The years 1990

The November 24th 1988, it is elected with the French Academy, with the armchair 17, succeeding Jean Delay. Its official reception under the Cupola takes place the June 22nd 1989, the answer to its speech of reception being pronounced by Bertrand Poirot-Delpech. After its disappearance, it will be replaced under the Cupola, the May 28th 1998, by Érik Orsenna.

In June 1990, the type-setter Jean Michel Jarre pays homage to the commander by entitling his new album " While waiting for Cousteau".

The December 2nd 1990, Simone Cousteau dies of a cancer. This woman of great character which had spent more time than her husband on board Calypso was the egery of the Cousteau Team. In June 1991, in Paris, Jacques-Yves Cousteau remarie with Francine Triplet, of which it had (before its marriage) 2 children, Diane and Pierre-Yves. Francine Cousteau currently continues the work of her husband to the head of the Cousteau Foundation and Cousteau Society.

As from this moment, the relations between Jacques-Yves and his oldest son worsen. Jacques-Yves puts an end to their collaboration. In 1996, it prosecutes his/her son who wishes to open a vacation center “ Cousteau ” in the islands Fiji.

In 1992, it is invited to the conference of the the United Nations on the environment and the development with Rio de Janeiro (Brazil). He then becomes a regular adviser of UNO and later of the the World Bank.

This year, he becomes president of the Conseil for the rights of the future generations.

Jacques-Yves Cousteau died out the June 25th 1997. Its disappearance was strongly felt in the United States, where it was one of the most popular French. It was buried in the family vault with Saint-Andre-with-Cubzac (France). A homage was paid to him by the city by the inauguration of a “street of the Commander Cousteau”, street which leads to its native house, where was affixed a commemorative plaque.

Distinctions

  • Commander of the Legion of honor

  • Grand Cross of the National order of the Merit
  • Military Cross 1939-1945
  • Officer about the maritime Merit
  • Commander about arts and letters

The heritage of Jacques-Yves Cousteau

The discovery of the underwater world by the general public

Cousteau liked to be called itself “oceanographical technician”. Many estimates that it was in love sophisticated nature, particularly of the sea. With its inimitable smile, and through television, it made discover the life under surface with the people of all the continents and made them explore the infinite resources of the “blue continent”.

Completed work by Cousteau created also a new kind of scientific paper which was largely criticized by holding of the academic formalism: television needs a setting in scene which often moves away from the scientific rigor. But it strongly contributed to the diffusion of popularization in all the scientific disciplines.

Jacques-Yves Cousteau is incontestably one of the great figures of second half of the 20th century for the exploration of the underwater worlds. Its action will have made discover with several generations these last unknown and unexplored worlds.

Technical innovations

The defense of the environment

August 1st

Works of Jacques-Yves Cousteau

Books

  • the world of silence , in collaboration with Frederic " Didi" Dumas, Editions of Paris, 1952.
  • the planet of the whales , with the collaboration of Yves Paccalet, Robert Laffont, 1986.
  • the Man, the Octopus and the Orchis , Robert Laffont, 1998, ISBN 2-221-08523-X
  • the adventure of the Cousteau team in comic strip , collaboration with Dominique Serafini, Robert Laffont. 17 titles published between 1985-1998.

Films

Quotations

" Tomorrow, I want that the rights of those which will succeed us are registered in the duties of those which exist. So by my work I could allow our children and with those which were not born yet from living in the symphony of the world, I will have filled my mission."

" It is a terrible thing to say. But to stabilize the world population, we must eliminate 350.000 people per day. It is a thing horrible to say, but nothing to say is still plus."

See too

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