Cousteau, Jacques-Yves, << koo stoh, zhahk eev >> (1910-1997), was a French oceanographer, author, and motion-picture producer. He developed many techniques for undersea exploration. In 1943, Cousteau helped invent the aqualung. This breathing device enables a diver to move about freely underwater for long periods. Cousteau also developed the first underwater diving station and an underwater observation vehicle called the diving saucer.
After 1951, Cousteau explored the oceans with his research ship Calypso. He wrote books about sea life that have been translated into many languages. These books include The Silent World (1953), The Living Sea (1962), and World Without Sun (1964). He produced many films about sea life, three of which won Academy Awards.
In 1960, Cousteau and Prince Rainier III of Monaco opposed France’s plan to dump radioactive wastes into the Mediterranean Sea. France abandoned the plan that year. During the 1960’s and 1970’s, Cousteau’s television series “The Undersea World of Jacques Cousteau” dramatized underwater exploration and the need for conservation of ocean life. Cousteau was born on June 11, 1910, in St.-Andre-de-Cubzac, which is near Bordeaux. He died on June 25, 1997.
