1798-1877

American Naval Officer

Charles Wilkes spent his entire working life in the United States Navy. He is best known for leading a four-year voyage of exploration that circled the globe, mapped large parts of the Pacific and Australia, and charted over 1,500 miles (2,400 kilometers) of the Antarctic coast. He also constructed and opened the forerunner of the U.S. Naval Observatory near Washington, D.C.

Wilkes was born in New York City in 1798 to John and Mary Wilkes. He joined the Navy in 1818, specializing in oceanography. One of his first assignments was to take charge of the recently established Depot of Charts and Instruments, upon which he began construction of a simple astronomical observatory. This grew to become the U.S. Naval Observatory, an important center for astronomical research for many years.

In 1838 Wilkes was given command of a six-ship expedition of discovery, the U.S...