Charles Jean de la Condamine

Charles Jean de la Condamine was an 18th-century French mathematician, geographer, and scientist. He is best known for leading an expedition in the 1730s to measure the length of a degree of latitude near the equator, which helped improve the understanding of Earth's shape. His work contributed significantly to the fields of natural sciences and geography, and he was a pioneer in using precise measurement techniques. La Condamine's efforts advanced scientific knowledge during the Age of Enlightenment, emphasizing rational inquiry and empirical data.