Éléonore-Jean-Nicolas Soleil Éléonore-Jean-Nicolas Soleil Éléonore-Jean-Nicolas Soleil (Cherbourg, 6 January 1767 – Octeville, 11 March 1824) was a French Navy officer and captain. Born to the family of a surgeon, Soleil started sailing on a merchantman in 1783. In 1785, he served in the French Royal Navy on a fluyt, before returning to merchant shipping. In August 1789, Soleil joined up as a volunteer aboard on the "Brillant". He returned to commerce again in 1790. On 1 April 1793, Soleil joined the Navy as a midshipman first class, serving on "Brillant" again. In February 1794, he was promoted to ensign, and served on
Cirque du Soleil Cirque du Soleil Cirque du Soleil (, "Circus of the Sun" or "Sun Circus") is a Canadian entertainment company. It is the largest theatrical producer in the world. Based in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, and located in the inner-city area of Saint-Michel, it was founded in Baie-Saint-Paul on 7 July 1984, by two former street performers, Guy Laliberté and Gilles Ste-Croix. Initially named "Les Échassiers" (, "The Waders"), they toured Quebec in 1980 as a performing troupe. Their initial financial hardship was relieved in 1983 by a government grant from the Canada Council for the Arts, as part of the 450th