Jean-Baptiste Charcot
1867–1936 (age 69)
Scientist/Explorer/Doctor
Biography
Jean-Baptiste Charcot, trained as a physician and imbued with scientific curiosity, followed in the illustrious footsteps of his father while forging his own reputation leading the French Antarctic expeditions aboard the Pourquoi-Pas? and other ships that charted previously unseen coasts.
His voyages combined exploration with meticulous surveying, bringing home scientific data and fostering international cooperation; he perished in 1936 when the Pourquoi-Pas? was lost, and the tomb in Montmartre Cemetery marks the place where admirers still gather in tribute.