August 31

Born in Paris in 1729, Bougainville began his career as a soldier before turning to scientific exploration. Between 1766 and 1769, he commanded a squadron that completed France’s first circumnavigation, mapping Pacific islands and documenting Tahitian society. His published Voyage autour du monde captivated European readers and inspired further exploration. A skilled diplomat, he negotiated colonial claims in the Falkland Islands and acquired botanical specimens that lent his name to the bougainvillea plant. He rose to the rank of admiral and died in Paris in 1811, celebrated as a leading figure of the Enlightenment’s age of discovery.