Ferdinand de Lesseps
Ferdinand de Lesseps was a French diplomat who developed the Suez Canal, opened in November 1869, and later led a failed French attempt to build a canal across Panama.
What they did and why it matters
De Lesseps created the Suez Canal, one of the most important chokepoints for the ocean freight that brings goods to the US East Coast. By linking the Mediterranean and Red Sea, the canal removed the need to sail around Africa between Europe and Asia, cutting thousands of miles from voyages. His Panama project collapsed in 1889 after huge losses to disease, and the US completed that canal in 1914. Recent disruptions such as the Ever Given blockage and the Red Sea crisis show how closures at his canal raise transit times and freight rates.
Events
Sources
- Ferdinand de Lesseps (Wikipedia) en.wikipedia.org
- Lesseps, Ferdinand de (Fondation Napoléon) napoleon.org