Lesseps, Ferdinand (-Marie), viscount de

Lesseps, Ferdinand (-Marie), viscount de
born Nov. 19, 1805, Versailles, France
died Dec. 7, 1894, La Chenaie, near Guilly

French diplomat, builder of the Suez Canal.

A career diplomat, he held posts in Egypt and elsewhere until 1849. In 1854 he was authorized by the viceroy of Egypt to build a canal across the isthmus of the Suez. He organized a company in 1858, with half its capital from French people, and construction began at Port Said in 1859. The Suez Canal was officially inaugurated in 1869. In 1879 Lesseps organized another company to build a Panama canal, but he gave up the project because of political and economic difficulties. He was prosecuted but cleared of charges of misappropriating funds, though French government members were accused of bribe taking.

Lesseps

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  • Lesseps, Ferdinand-Marie, viscount de — (1805 1894)    diplomat, administrator    Born in Versailles, the son of a diplomat, Ferdinand Marie, viscount de Lesseps, entered the consular service in 1825 and held many diplomatic posts. While assistant vice consul in Cairo and Alexandria,… …   France. A reference guide from Renaissance to the Present

  • viscount — /vuy kownt /, n. 1. a nobleman next below an earl or count and next above a baron. 2. Hist. a deputy of a count or earl. 3. (in England) a sheriff. [1350 1400; ME viscounte < AF; OF visconte (F vicomte), equiv. to vis VICE3 + counte COUNT2, trans …   Universalium

  • Marie — /meuh ree /; for 2 also Fr. /mann rddee /, n. 1. (Marie Alexandra Victoria of Saxe Coburg) 1875 1938, queen of Rumania 1914 27. 2. a female given name, French form of Mary. * * * (as used in expressions) Marie Josèphe Rose Tascher de la Pagerie… …   Universalium

  • Ferdinand — /ferr dn and /, n. a male given name: from Germanic words meaning bold and peace. * * * I born April 19, 1793, Vienna, Austria died June 29, 1875, Prague, Bohemia Emperor of Austria (1835–48). He was the eldest son of Emperor Francis II, who… …   Universalium

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