Jacques Alexandre-César Charles was born on November 12, 1746 in
Beaugency, France. When he was young, he recieved an education
that had very little science involved. He learned only basic
mathematics, and hardly any practical science. When he was
young, he moved to Paris and worked at the Bureau of Finances.
In the year 1779, Benjamin Franklin visited Paris as an
ambassador for the newly created United States of America.
Charles learned about Franklin's scientific experiments, and was
impressed enough to begin learning about nonmathematical,
experimental physics. In 1781 after only a year and a half of
studying, he began giving public lectures on the things he had
learned. Charles was named a resident member of the Académie des
Sciences (Science Adcademy) on November 20, 1795. He was also
professor of experimental physics at the Conservatoire des Arts
et Métiers (Conservatory of Arts and Careers), librarian for the
Institute, and he was president of the class of experimental
physics at the Académie from 1816