comte Louis-Antoine de Bougainville

Born in Paris in 1729, Bougainville first studied law and mathematics and even published a work on integral calculus before turning fully to military life. He served in the Seven Years’ War in North America, later fought in the American Revolutionary War, and built a reputation as both an able officer and an energetic man of letters.

He is most famous for the expedition he led from 1766 to 1769, the first voyage around the world sponsored by France. His travels in the Pacific, including his widely read account of Tahiti, made him one of the best-known French explorers of the 18th century and helped shape European ideas about distant lands and peoples.

Bougainville continued to serve France in naval and public life and died in Paris in 1811. His travel writing, especially Voyage autour du monde, kept his name alive long after his voyages ended, and the flowering vine bougainvillea was named in his honor.