Jacques Cousteau
Sign in to saveFrench naval officer, oceanographer, filmmaker and author (1910-1997)
AI overview
Jacques Cousteau was a French naval officer, oceanographer, filmmaker, and author who lived from 1910 to 1997. He matters because he was a pioneering explorer of the ocean who used film and writing to bring underwater life to the public and inspire interest in marine conservation.
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Person · Open Library
- Born
- 1910-06-11
- Died
- 1997-06-25
- Works
- 0
via Open Library + Wikidata
Film & TV
Acting · Saint-André-de-Cubzac, Gironde, France
Jacques-Yves Cousteau, AC (11 June 1910 – 25 June 1997) was a French naval officer, oceanographer, scientist, inventor, filmmaker, photographer, innovator, conservationist, author, and researcher who studied the sea and all forms of life in water. He co-invented the first successful open-circuit self-contained underwater breathing apparatus, ("SCUBA"), called the Aqua-Lung, which assisted him in…
Known for
- Becoming Cousteau — Self (archive footage)2021
- Shipwrecked on a Great Lake — Self2014
- My Father the Captain: Jacques-Yves Cousteau — Self (archive footage)2011
- Square Roots: The Story of SpongeBob SquarePants — Self (archive footage)2009
- Lake Baikal: Pearl of Siberia — Self1997
- Titanic's Lost Sister — Self1996
- 30 Years of National Geographic Specials — Self (archive footage)1995
Article
The Cousteau Society logo depicts the nymph Calypso, the namesake of his research vessel, also used as its house flag. Jacques-Yves Cousteau (/kuːˈstoʊ/, also UK: /ˈkuːstoʊ/; French: [ʒak iv kusto]; 11 June 1910 – 25 June 1997) was a French naval officer, oceanographer, filmmaker and author. He co-invented the first successful open-circuit self-contained underwater breathing apparatus (SCUBA), called the Aqua-Lung, which assisted him in producing some of the first underwater documentaries.
Cousteau wrote many books describing his undersea explorations. In his first book, The Silent World: A Story of Undersea Discovery and Adventure, Cousteau surmised the existence of the echolocation abilities of porpoises. The book was adapted into an underwater documentary called The Silent World. Co-directed by Cousteau and Louis Malle, it was one of the first films to use underwater cinematography to document the ocean depths in color. The film won the 1956 Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival and remained the only documentary to do so until 2004 (when Fahrenheit 9/11 received the award). It was also awarded the Academy Award for Best Documentary in 1957.