Charles Wilkes

Born in 1798, he was a U.S. Navy officer, explorer, and surveyor whose name is most closely linked with the United States Exploring Expedition of 1838–1842. That voyage gathered scientific specimens, produced charts, and expanded American knowledge of the Pacific, the Pacific Northwest, and Antarctic waters.

His career was not only scientific. During the American Civil War, he commanded USS San Jacinto and became internationally famous for stopping a British mail ship and seizing two Confederate envoys in the Trent Affair, a diplomatic crisis that raised tensions between the United States and Britain.

He died in 1877. Remembered as an ambitious and controversial figure, he left behind a legacy tied to exploration, naval history, and one of the most important American expeditions of the 19th century.