Delisle, Guillaume (1675-1726)

French scientist; one of the founders of modern geography. He was a pupil of his father, a renowned historian and geographer, and of the Italian astronomer Giovanni Domenico Cassini. Before Delisle some maps still reflected those of Ptolemy. He published about 130 maps, many purely geographical, others in connection with books about voyages of discovery. In 1700 his map of the world appeared, as did his celestial and terrestrial globes.

In 1702 Delisle became a member of the French Académie des Sciences, and in 1718 geographer to King Louis XV. He wrote Atlas Géographique (published 1789), and contributed to Mémoires de l'Académie des Sciences.