Jacques Yves Cousteau was born in France to

Elizabeth and Daniel Cousteau in 1910. He had one
brother. Jacques invented several important
underwater devices. One of them was a
Self-Contained Breathing Apparatus, SCUBA.
Jacques would go underwater with a SCUBA tank on
his back, and a dream in his heart.

Jacques wanted to be a pilot, so he entered the

French Navy. Unfortunately, he broke both his arms
in a car crash. He went swimming to keep his arms
strong. The water was interesting, so he started
diving. That's when Cousteau started inventing
devices, exploring, and teaching about the ocean.
Before Jacques Cousteau, not many people knew
about underwater life. Cousteau had his missions
photographed so that people would understand the
importance of preserving and protecting the ocean
environment. He became famous because of all the
things he did. He died in 1997, but his contributions
will live on.

home

topic page

Jacques Cousteau