Jacques Cousteau is the scientific, underwater documentary producer from the 1900’s that educated viewers about sea life. Cousteau is known for his pioneer efforts to discover the underwater world via television.
On this day, January 8th, in 1968, Cousteau’s first undersea special, The Undersea World of Jacques Cousteau, premieres on ABC, and showcases the new invention of the aqualung diving apparatus. The show introduced narration in documentaries, and Cousteau’s French accented narrative appealed to mass audiences with its humor and discussion. The show ran for eight seasons before being rebroadcasted in over 50 countries.
Cousteau’s underwater filming did not stop there as he continued to produce subsurface facts that brought awareness to life beneath the waves and to humankind’s responsibility to preserve it. Through his devoted stance to sea life, he achieved many medals and awards such as an Oscar and the National Geographic Society’s Gold Medal.