“The young pilot borrowed his father’s Samson sports car to attend a wedding and had a horrific crash when the headlights shorted out on a dark road,” wrote K. Gittner of young Jacques Cousteau, who had entered the French navy in 1930 with dreams of becoming a naval aviator. Having broken both arms in the accident he was unable to resume pilot training: “Cousteau needed a way to rehab and strengthen his broken arms, though, so he took to swimming in the ocean. Later that year, Cousteau made his first underwater swim goggles, and he realized that he’d found his calling.”

Cousteau went on to become an acclaimed naval officer, oceanographer, filmmaker, and author. He co-invented the Aqualung which enabled breathing underwater, and used it to produce some of the first underwater documentaries. One of his books was adapted into a documentary called The Silent World. Co-directed by Cousteau, it was one of the first films to showcase the ocean’s vibrant undersea world in color. The film won the 1956 Palme d’Or at the Cannes Film Festival. It was also awarded the Academy Award for Best Documentary in 1957.

“For most of history, man has had to fight nature to survive; in this century he is beginning to realize that, in order to survive, he must protect it,” Cousteau said. He was awarded the National Geographic Society’s Special Gold Medal (1961), and the U.S. Presidential Medal of Freedom (1985). From 1966 to 1976 he hosted The Undersea World of Jacques Cousteau, a documentary television series which aired on American television.

Cousteau’s legacy includes 120 television documentaries, more than 50 books, and an environmental protection foundation with 300,000 members known as The Cousteau Society. His groundbreaking research and discoveries in undersea exploration revolutionized our understanding of the ocean and its inhabitants. But perhaps more importantly, his commitment to preserving the delicate balance of marine ecosystems has inspired countless individuals and organizations to take action to protect and cherish the wonders and precious resources of the ocean. As Cousteau said of his work, “The impossible missions are the only ones which succeed.”