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The Life and Legacy of Captain Jacques-Yves Cousteau
by Hillol Ray
Undersea explorer Jacques-Yves Cousteau died in Paris on June 25, 1997
at age 87. The world lost a true and courageous ambassador of the
oceans. Captain Cousteau authored or co-authored more than 80 books,
produced and starred in nearly 100 films, and hosted a documentary
television series, The Undersea World of Jacques Cousteau that has been
shown in more than 100 countries. Three of his films received Academy
Awards for best documentary, and one, The Silent World, also won the
Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival.
Jacques-Yves Cousteau was born on June 11, 1910, in the market town of
St.-Andre-de-Cubzac near Bordeaux, France. His parents were Daniel and
Elizabeth Cousteau. Over 40 years, Captain Cousteau traveled the oceans
of the world aboard his research vessel Calypso. He was the co-inventor
and principal developer of the Aqua Lung, better known as "scuba", for
self-contained underwater breathing apparatus. In 1936, Mr. Cousteau
met Simone Melchior, a student, and married her in summer of 1937. His
two sons, Jean-Michael and Philippe were born in 1938 and 1940
respectively. In 1953, the publication of The Silent World made him an
instant celebrity. His interests in protecting the ocean environment
continued to grow over the years. In 1974, he founded the Cousteau
Society, Inc., dedicated to marine conservation. Unfortunately, towards
the later part of his life, he had to face personal losses. His younger
son, Philippe, whom he appointed as his successor, was killed in a
seaplane crash in 1979, and older son, Jean-Michael, resigned from the
Cousteau Society in 1972, due to feuds with him over issues of
management and policy. His wife, Simone, died in 1990. To recover from
loneliness, Mr. Cousteau was remarried in 1991. His second wife,
Francine Triplet, current President of the Cousteau Society, has two
children, Diane and Pierre-Yves.
Upon his death, French President Jacques Chirac said: "Captain Cousteau
was a great Frenchman who was also a citizen of the world".
In a nutshell, Frenchman Captain Jacques-Yves Cousteau,
author-explorer-inventor-filmmaker-oceanographer, has left a profound
legacy for the generation to come. He will be surely missed…
About Hillol Ray
Hillol
Ray Poet Laureate, Author, and Song Writer, is an Environmental
Engineer/Manager of Drinking Water Supply Enforcement Program, with the
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in Dallas, Texas. He has
been writing poetry since the age of six, in his native language
"Bengali". His poems are regularly published in Bengali magazines from
Asia, Europe, Canada, Sweden, and North America and are currently being
translated into English, Swedish, Spanish, German and French languages.
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