He's best known for missing the transit of Venus twice, being away from home for 11 years because of it, and finding out his estate was divided and his wife remarried because he was declared legally dead since none of his letters made it back home. What I'd like to know is just how unlucky he really was, because he apparently died in Paris in 1792, which was not a great place to be in 1792. I've looked for some time but every little biography I've read online must have used the same source because they all simply say he died in Paris in 1792. Can anyone tell me if he died in one piece? Died in bed or lost his head? I'd really like to know. I was happy to read that he got his estate back, remarried, and seemed to have a successful career after his return, so it was quite a gut punch at the end to read the time and place of his death.
I need closure on this because the biographies I read all basically left him dangling off the edge of a cliff. Honestly! You cannot say "died in Paris in 1792" without saying how! That's just irresponsible.
Because the Royal Academy of Sciences was closed for a month after the execution of Louis XVI on 21 September 1792, Le Gentil's death was only mentioned by his fellow Academicians when the institution reopened on 17 November: in the minutes, Jussieu wrote that Le Gentil had died "during the holidays, on 22 October". For some reason, the date is 20 October on the death certificate added to the proceedings: the poor guy could not even get a certain date for his death (Foix, 2019). Astronomer Joseph Jérôme Lefrançois de Lalande talked about the death of Le Gentil in a lecture at the Collège de France on 12 November 1792, but his short eulogy did not mention the manner of Le Gentil's death. Lalande, however, also talked about the passing of another astronomer, Abbot Claude Bertrand, killed at 36 in April 1792 after tumbling down "200 feet" while climbing the Table Moutain (South Africa). Bertrand had written Lalande that he was fine, but died a few days later. Le Gentil's death was likely not remarkable, and this is confirmed by the eulogy written in 1810 by his colleague Jean-Dominique Cassini, who blames a sudden illness:
A robust temperament, which travel had strengthened rather than weakened, exempted M. Le Gentil from all infirmities and would have given him many more years, had not a serious illness taken him away in October 1792. He was only 67 years old; but death, by thus shortening his days, spared him at least the spectacle of the great storms which were about to break out, and of the destruction of the Academy of Sciences which would certainly have disturbed the peace and happiness he boasted of enjoying. His appearance did not appear to be in his favour; but, enlivened by conversation, it took on an expression of wit and originality which was pleasing. In his travels at sea he had contracted a little savagery and brusqueness, but without rudeness; for in private he was cheerful, amiable and gentle. Finally, to complete the picture, we shall say that he was a good colleague, a very good husband and an excellent father.
Le Gentil was unlucky due to missing the transit of Venus twice, but he came back with many valuable data that were collected in two large volumes that can be read here.
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