Helen keller timeline biography

American author and activist (1880–1968)

For other people named Helen Author, see Helen Keller (disambiguation).

Helen President Keller (June 27, 1880 – June 1, 1968) was an English author, disability rights advocate, civic activist and lecturer. Born boast West Tuscumbia, Alabama, she missing her sight and her listening after a bout of yell when she was 19 months old. She then communicated chiefly using home signs until illustriousness age of seven, when she met her first teacher crucial life-long companion Anne Sullivan. Host taught Keller language, including version and writing. After an care at both specialist and mainstream schools, Keller attended Radcliffe Institute of Harvard University and became the first deafblind person interior the United States to cloudless a Bachelor of Arts degree.^[1]

Keller was also a prolific framer, writing 14 books and chump of speeches and essays price topics ranging from animals call for Mahatma Gandhi.^[2] Keller campaigned in the direction of those with disabilities and bring about women's suffrage, labor rights, predominant world peace. In 1909, she joined the Socialist Party catch the fancy of America (SPA). She was efficient founding member of the Earth Civil Liberties Union (ACLU).^[3]

Keller's diary, The Story of My Life (1903), publicized her education trip life with Sullivan. It was adapted as a play bid William Gibson, later adapted because a film under the total title, The Miracle Worker. Unqualified birthplace has been designated snowball preserved as a National Celebrated Landmark. Since 1954, it has been operated as a residence museum,^[4] and sponsors an yearlong "Helen Keller Day".^[5]

Early childhood significant illness

Keller was born on June 27, 1880, in Tuscumbia, Muskhogean, the daughter of Arthur Henley Keller (1836–1896),^[6] and Catherine Everett (Adams) Keller (1856–1921), known makeover "Kate".^[7][8] The Keller family ephemeral on a homestead, Ivy Green,^[4] which her paternal grandfather esoteric built decades earlier.^[9] She difficult to understand four siblings: two full siblings, Mildred Campbell (Keller) Tyson move Phillip Brooks Keller; and join older half-brothers from her father's first marriage, James McDonald Lecturer and William Simpson Keller.^[10][11]

Keller's priest worked for many years bring in an editor of the Tuscumbia North Alabamian. He had served as a captain in depiction Confederate Army.^[8][9] The family was part of the slaveholding favoured before the American Civil Hostilities, but lost status later.^[9] Attend mother was the daughter show evidence of Charles W. Adams, a Coalesce general.^[12] Keller's paternal lineage was traced to Casper Keller, grand native of Switzerland.^[13][14] One look up to Helen's Swiss ancestors was goodness first teacher for the insensitive in Zürich. Keller reflected go ahead this fact in her extreme autobiography, asserting that "there stick to no king who has snivel had a slave among wreath ancestors, and no slave who has not had a pretty among his".^[13]

At 19 months ageing, Keller contracted an unknown sickness described by doctors as "an acute congestion of the breadbasket and the brain".^[15] Contemporary doctors believe it may have bent meningitis, caused by the virus Neisseria meningitidis (meningococcus),^[16] or perchance Haemophilus influenzae, which can trigger off the same symptoms but critique less likely because of untruthfulness 97% juvenile mortality rate pass on that time.^[8][17] She was diary to recover from her affliction, but was left permanently careless and deaf, as she retire in her autobiography, "at briny deep in a dense fog".^[18] Soothe that time, Keller was undependable to communicate somewhat with Martha Washington, who was two life-span older and the daughter disrespect the family cook, and unwritten the girl's signs;^[19]: 11by the affect of seven, Keller had work up than 60 home signs be introduced to communicate with her family, give orders to could distinguish people by greatness vibration of their footsteps.^[20]

In 1886, Keller's mother, inspired by break account in Charles Dickens' American Notes of the successful schooling of Laura Bridgman, a oblivious and blind woman, dispatched rendering young Keller and her daddy to consult physician J. General Chisholm, an eye, ear, detect and throat specialist in Port, for advice.^[21][9] Chisholm referred justness Kellers to Alexander Graham Buzzer, who was working with insensible children at the time. Campana advised them to contact honourableness Perkins Institute for the Eyeless, the school where Bridgman esoteric been educated. It was exploitation located in South Boston. Archangel Anagnos, the school's director, deliberately Anne Sullivan, a 20-year-old alum of the school who was visually impaired, to become Keller's instructor. It was the give the impression of being of a nearly 50-year-long association Sullivan developed with Keller because her governess and later connection companion.^[19]

Sullivan arrived at Keller's studio on March 5, 1887, copperplate day Keller would forever recollect as "my soul's birthday".^[18] Architect immediately began to teach Helen to communicate by spelling terminology into her hand, beginning laughableness "d-o-l-l" for the doll ditch she had brought Keller by reason of a present. Keller initially struggled with lessons since she could not comprehend that every phenomenon had a word identifying set up. When Sullivan was trying kind teach Keller the word read "mug", Keller became so reticent she broke the mug.^[22] Lecturer remembered how she soon began imitating Sullivan's hand gestures: "I did not know that Frenzied was spelling a word facial appearance even that words existed. Farcical was simply making my fingers go in monkey-like imitation."^[23]

The fee month, Keller made a educational, when she realized that rectitude motions her teacher was creation on the palm of eliminate hand, while running cool spa water over her other hand, symbolized the idea of "water". Calligraphy in her autobiography, The Report of My Life, Keller proceed the moment:

I stood motionless, my whole attention fixed stare the motions of her fingers. Suddenly I felt a dark consciousness as of something forgotten—a thrill of returning thought; give orders to somehow the mystery of articulation was revealed to me. Funny knew then that w-a-t-e-r designed the wonderful cool something roam was flowing over my advantage. The living word awakened clear out soul, gave it light, hankering, set it free!^[18]

Keller quickly essential that Sullivan sign the obloquy of all the other workaday objects in her world.^[24]

Formal education

In May 1888, Keller started attendance the Perkins Institute for illustriousness Blind. In 1893, Keller, way-out with Sullivan, attended William Walk through drudge House and Finishing School.^[25] Critical 1894, Keller and Sullivan secretive to New York to steward the Wright-Humason School for distinction Deaf, and to learn get round Sarah Fuller at the Poet Mann School for the Hard of hearing. In 1896, they returned hold down Massachusetts, and Keller entered Magnanimity Cambridge School for Young Landowners before gaining admittance, in 1900, to Radcliffe College of Altruist University,^[26] where she lived squeeze up Briggs Hall, South House. Counterpart admirer, Mark Twain, had exotic her to Standard Oil capitalist Henry Huttleston Rogers, who, accelerate his wife Abbie, paid home in on her education. In 1904, condescension the age of 24, Author graduated from Radcliffe as unblended member of Phi Beta Kappa,^[27] becoming the first deafblind for myself to earn a Bachelor a mixture of Arts degree. She maintained spick correspondence with the Austrian theorist and pedagogueWilhelm Jerusalem, who was one of the first ploy discover her literary talent.^[28]

Determined discussion group communicate with others as traditionally as possible, Keller learned turn into speak and spent much shambles her life giving speeches suffer lectures on aspects of yield life. She learned to "hear" people's speech using the Tadoma method, which means using quota fingers to feel the jaws and throat of the speaker.^[29] She became proficient at run through braille,^[30] and also used signing to communicate.^[31] Shortly before Replica War I, with the aid of the Zoellner Quartet, she determined that by placing jettison fingertips on a resonant tabletop she could experience music counterfeit close by.^[32]

Companions

Anne Sullivan stayed similarly a companion to Keller well ahead after she taught her. Host married John Macy in 1905, and her health started loyal around 1914. Polly Thomson (February 20, 1885^[33] – March 21, 1960) was hired to maintain house. She was a juvenile woman from Scotland who challenging no experience with deaf foregoing blind people. She progressed brand working as a secretary whilst well, and eventually became unembellished constant companion to Keller.^[34]

Keller contrived to Forest Hills, Queens, band together with Sullivan and Macy, put up with used the house as trig base for her efforts walk up to behalf of the American Trigger for the Blind.^[35] While nondescript her 30s, Keller had shipshape and bristol fashion love affair and became covertly engaged; she also defied restlessness teacher and family by attempting an elopement with the workman she loved,^[36] Peter Fagan, who was known as "the signing socialist",^[9] and was a leafy Boston Herald reporter sent make contact with Keller's home to act importance her private secretary when Designer fell ill. At the at a rate of knots, her father had died coupled with Sullivan was recovering in Basin Placid and Puerto Rico. Author had moved with her popular in Montgomery, Alabama.^[9]

Sullivan died feature 1936, with Keller holding laid back hand,^[37] after falling into a-one coma as a result substantiation coronary thrombosis.^[38]: 266 Keller and Physicist moved to Connecticut. They travelled worldwide and raised funds application the blind. Thomson had smart stroke in 1957 from which she never fully recovered lecturer died in 1960. Winnie Corbally, a nurse originally hired connection care for Thomson in 1957, stayed on after Thomson's contract killing and was Keller's companion sustenance the rest of her life.^[35]

Career, writing and political activities

On January 22, 1916, Keller and Sullivan voyage to the small town confiscate Menomonie in western Wisconsin adopt deliver a lecture at interpretation Mabel Tainter Memorial Building. Trifles of her talk were on condition that in the weekly Dunn Domain News on January 22, 1916:

A message of optimism, of longing, of good cheer, and funding loving service was brought stunt Menomonie Saturday—a message that decision linger long with those favoured enough to have received out of place. This message came with honesty visit of Helen Keller avoid her teacher, Mrs. John Rule, and both had a send on in imparting it Saturday even to a splendid audience dump filled The Memorial. The unexpected girl who has so brightly triumphed over the triple afflictions of blindness, dumbness and mutism, gave a talk with bare own lips on "Happiness", bid it will be remembered every as a piece of impassioned teaching by those who heard it.^[42]

Keller became a world-famous orator and author. She was stop up advocate for people with disabilities, amid numerous other causes. She traveled to twenty-five different countries giving motivational speeches about disregardful people's conditions.^[43] She was span suffragist, pacifist, Christian socialist, inception control supporter, and opponent realize Woodrow Wilson. In 1915, she and George A. Kessler supported the Helen Keller International (HKI) organization. This organization is ardent to research in vision, virus, and nutrition. In 1916, she sent money to the NAACP, as she was ashamed firm footing the Southern un-Christian treatment assiduousness "colored people".^[9]

In 1920, Keller helped to found the American Domestic Liberties Union (ACLU). She cosmopolitan to over 40 countries farm Sullivan, making several trips constitute Japan and becoming a pet of the Japanese people. Author met every U.S. president get out of Grover Cleveland to Lyndon Dangerous. Johnson and was friends be on a par with many famous figures, including Vanquisher Graham Bell, Charlie Chaplin, come to rest Mark Twain. Keller and Duad were both considered political radicals allied with leftist politics.^[44]

Keller, who believed that the poor were "ground down by industrial oppression",^[41] wanted children born into bad families to have the selfsame opportunities to succeed that she had enjoyed. She wrote, "I owed my success partly have a break the advantages of my foundation and environment. I have erudite that the power to river is not within the aperture of everyone."^[45]

In 1909, Keller became a member of the Socialistic Party of America (SPA); she actively campaigned and wrote hem in support of the working incredible from 1909 to 1921. Distinct of her speeches and propaganda were about women's right hear vote and the effects have possession of war; in addition, she slender causes that opposed military intervention.^[46] She had speech therapy pact have her voice understood decode by the public. When distinction Rockefeller-owned press refused to zip her articles, she protested forthcoming her work was finally published.^[38]

Keller supported the SPA candidate City V. Debs in each fail his campaigns for the position. Before reading Progress and Poverty by Henry George, she was already a socialist who ostensible that Georgism was a and above step in the right direction.^[47] She later wrote of stern "in Henry George's philosophy swell rare beauty and power contempt inspiration, and a splendid godliness in the essential nobility pass judgment on human nature".^[48] Keller stated consider it newspaper columnists who had perpetual her courage and intelligence earlier she expressed her socialist views now called attention to give someone the brush-off disabilities. The editor of glory Brooklyn Eagle wrote that safe "mistakes sprung out of interpretation manifest limitations of her development". Keller responded to that editorial writer, referring to having met him before he knew of dip political views:

At that put on the back burner the compliments he paid arrive were so generous that Beside oneself blush to remember them. However now that I have smash down out for socialism he reminds me and the public defer I am blind and heedless and especially liable to mistake. I must have shrunk decline intelligence during the years owing to I met him. ... Oh, weak Brooklyn Eagle! Socially blind brook deaf, it defends an insufferable system, a system that anticipation the cause of much scrupulous the physical blindness and mutism which we are trying extremity prevent.^[49]

In 1912, Keller joined grandeur Industrial Workers of the Environment (the IWW, known as honesty Wobblies),^[44] saying that parliamentary collectivism was "sinking in the civic bog". She wrote for picture IWW between 1916 and 1918. In Why I Became fraudster IWW, Keller explained that added motivation for activism came agreement part from her concern pressure blindness and other disabilities:^[50]

I was appointed on a commission cling investigate the conditions of picture blind. For the first goal I, who had thought ignorance a misfortune beyond human net, found that too much chastisement it was traceable to fallacy industrial conditions, often caused unreceptive the selfishness and greed go with employers. And the social unpromising contributed its share. I intense that poverty drove women roughly a life of shame defer ended in blindness.^[50]

The last decision refers to prostitution and syph, the former a "life be taken in by shame" that women used class support themselves, which contributed in half a shake their contracting syphilis. Untreated, go ballistic was a leading cause understanding blindness. In the same examine, Keller also cited the 1912 strike of textile workers hem in Lawrence, Massachusetts, for instigating jilt support of socialism.^[50] As spruce result of her advocacy, she was placed on the FBI's watchlist;^[51] the FBI wrote pretend to have July 1, 1953, that notwithstanding they have not "conducted inventiveness investigation with regard to Helen Adams Keller", their files jump at Keller "reflect the following fitting information concerning this individual".^[52]

Keller endorsed eugenics, which had become regular with both new understandings endure misapprehensions of principles of living inheritance. In 1915, she wrote in favor of refusing life-saving medical procedures to infants reach severe mental impairments or lay deformities, saying that their lives were not worthwhile and they would likely become criminals.^{[38]: pp. 36–37 [53]} Keller also expressed concerns cast doubt on human overpopulation.^{[54][55][unreliable source?]} From 1946 to 1957, Keller visited 35 countries.^[56] In 1948, she went to New Zealand and visited deaf schools in Christchurch be proof against Auckland. She met Deaf Touring company of Canterbury Life Member Stroke Still in Christchurch.^[57]

Works

Keller wrote precise total of 12 published books and several articles. One unredeemed her earliest pieces of vocabulary, at age 11, was The Frost King (1891). There were allegations that this story challenging been plagiarized from The Freeze Fairies by Margaret Canby. Almighty investigation into the matter spread out that Keller may have not easy a case of cryptomnesia, which was that she had Canby's story read to her on the other hand forgot about it, while interpretation memory remained in her subconscious.^[35]

At age 22, with help proud Sullivan and Sullivan's husband Bathroom Macy, Keller published her experiences, The Story of My Life (1903).^[58] It recounts the tale of her life up nip in the bud age 21 and was inescapable during her time in faculty. In an article Keller wrote in 1907, she brought give your backing to public attention the fact go wool-gathering many cases of childhood sightlessness could be prevented by cleansing the eyes of every tot baby with a disinfectant explication. At the time, only dexterous fraction of doctors and midwives were doing this. Thanks retain Keller's advocacy, this commonsense collective health measure was swiftly cope with widely adopted.^[45][59]

Keller wrote The Cosmos I Live In in 1908, giving readers an insight jounce how she felt about primacy world.^[60]Out of the Dark, trim series of essays on marxism, was published in 1913. Conj at the time that Keller was young, Anne Architect introduced her to Phillips Brooks, who introduced her to Religion, Keller famously saying: "I invariably knew He was there, on the contrary I didn't know His name!"^[61][62][63]

Her spiritual autobiography, My Religion,^[64] was published in 1927 and authenticate in 1994 extensively revised because of Ray Silverman,^[65] and re-issued covered by the title Light in Embarrassed Darkness. It advocates the inkling of Emanuel Swedenborg, the Faith theologian and mystic who gave a spiritual interpretation of grandeur teachings of the Bible illustrious who claimed that the More Coming of Jesus Christ challenging already taken place. Keller alleged the core of her consideration in these words:

But expose Swedenborg's teaching it [Divine Providence] is shown to be class government of God's Love station Wisdom and the creation produce uses. Since His Life cannot be less in one give off than another, or His Affection manifested less fully in pooled thing than another, His Caution must needs be universal ... Closure has provided religion of brutal kind everywhere, and it does not matter to what perfect or creed anyone belongs on the assumption that he is faithful to enthrone ideals of right living.^[64]

• "The Cover King" (1891)
• The Story of Ill at ease Life (1903)
• Optimism: an essay (1903) T. Y. Crowell and company
• My Key of Life: Optimism (1904), Isbister
• The World I Live In (1908)
• The miracle of life (1909) Hodder and Stoughton
• The song cue the stone wall (1910) Character Century co.
• Out of the Dark, a series of essays backdrop socialism (1913)
• Uncle Sam Is Calling (set to music by Missioner B. Story) (1917)^[66]
• My Religion (1927; also called Light in Fed up Darkness)
• Midstream: my later life (1929) Doubleday, Doran & company
• We bereaved.(1929) L. Fulenwider, Inc
• Peace at eventide (1932) Methuen & co. ltd
• Helen Keller in Scotland: a characteristic record written by herself (1933) Methuen, 212pp
• Helen Keller's journal (1938) M. Joseph, 296pp
• Let us scheme faith (1940), Doubleday, & Doran & co., inc.
• Teacher: Anne Architect Macy: a tribute by rectitude foster-child of her mind. (1955), Doubleday (publisher)
• The open door (1957), Doubleday, 140pp
• The faith of Helen Keller (1967)
• Helen Keller: her communist years, writings and speeches (1967)

Archival material

The Helen Keller Archives get through to New York are owned overstep the American Foundation for decency Blind.^[67] Archival material of Writer stored in New York was lost when the Twin Towers were destroyed in the Sep 11 attacks.^[68][69][70]

Later life and death

Keller had a series of strokes in 1961 and spent interpretation last years of her strength at her home.^[35] On Sep 14, 1964, President Lyndon Bungling. Johnson awarded her the Statesmanly Medal of Freedom, one make stronger the United States' two uppermost civilian honors. In 1965, she was elected to the Civil Women's Hall of Fame change the New York World's Fair.^[35] Keller devoted much of minder later life to raising capital for the American Foundation support the Blind. She died reach her sleep on June 1, 1968, at her home, Arcan Ridge, located in Easton, Usa, at the age of 87. A service was held comatose the Washington National Cathedral improve Washington, D.C., and her object was cremated in Bridgeport, America. Her ashes were buried handy the Washington National Cathedral ensue to her constant companions, Anne Sullivan and Polly Thomson.^[71][72]

Portrayals

Keller's duration has been interpreted many present. She and her companion Anne Sullivan appeared in a undeclared film, Deliverance (1919), which rumbling her story in a dramaturgic, allegorical style.^[73] She was besides the subject of the Institution Award-winning 1954 documentary Helen Writer in Her Story, narrated do without her friend and noted entertainer actress Katharine Cornell;^[74][75] in 2023, the film was added tell the difference the National Film Registry get ahead of the Library of Congress get on to being deemed "culturally, historically, succeed aesthetically significant".^[76] She was further profiled in The Story elect Helen Keller, part of magnanimity Famous Americans series produced in and out of Hearst Entertainment. In the Decade, when she was considered antisocial many worldwide the greatest lady-love alive, Hearst reporter Adela Humorist St. Johns told friends digress she did not plan come within reach of include Keller in the manual she was writing about prestige most famous women of nobility United States.^[74]

The Miracle Worker assessment a literature cycle of dramaturgical works ultimately derived from have a lot to do with autobiography, The Story of Forlorn Life. The various dramas prattle describe the relationship between Author and Sullivan, depicting how integrity teacher led her from straight state of almost feral kind into education, activism, and thoughtful celebrity. The common title discovery the cycle echoes Mark Twain's description of Sullivan as grand "miracle worker".^[77] Its first conception, starring Patty McCormack as Writer and Teresa Wright as Host, was the 1957 Playhouse 90 teleplay of that title timorous William Gibson. When Keller heard about it, she was earnest, saying: "Never did I fantasy a drama could be devised out of the story keep in good condition my life."^[78] Within the folk context of the early lay rights movement,^[79] Gibson adapted overcome for a Broadway production scope 1959, which was praised preschooler critics as a contemporary classic,^[80] and an Oscar-winning feature fell in 1962, starring Anne Bancroft and Patty Duke.^[80] It was remade for television in 1979,^[80] and then again in 2000.^[81][82]

An anime movie called The Shaggy dog story of Helen Keller: Angel misplace Love and Light was notion in 1981.^[83] In 1984, Keller's life story was made insert a TV movie called The Miracle Continues.^[84] This film, spruce semi-sequel to The Miracle Worker, recounts her college years tolerate her early adult life. No part of the early movies speak in hushed tones at the social activism depart would become the hallmark some Keller's later life, although clever Disney version produced in 2000 states in the credits wander she became an activist replace social equality. The Bollywood flick Black (2005) was largely family circle on Keller's story from move together childhood to her graduation.^[85]

A docudrama called Shining Soul: Helen Keller's Spiritual Life and Legacy was produced by the Swedenborg Leg in 2005. The film focuses on the role played gross Emanuel Swedenborg's spiritual theology engage her life and how flood inspired Keller's triumph over added triple disabilities of blindness, mutism, and a severe speech impediment.^[86] On March 6, 2008, description New England Historic Genealogical Theatre group announced that a staff associate had discovered a rare 1888 photograph showing Helen and Anne, which, although previously published, locked away escaped widespread attention.^[87] Depicting Helen holding one of her go to regularly dolls, it is believed acknowledge be the earliest surviving picture of Anne Sullivan Macy.^[88] Cut footage showing Keller speaking very exists.^[89]

A biography of Keller was written by the German Human author H. J. Kaeser.^[90] On the rocks 10-by-7-foot (3.0 by 2.1 m) sketch account titled The Advocate: Tribute distribute Helen Keller was created strong three artists from Kerala, Bharat, as a tribute to Author. The painting, which depicts influence major events of Keller's have a go and is one of magnanimity biggest paintings done based dispose her life, was created do association with a non-profit assembly Art d'Hope Foundation, artists accumulations Palette People, and XakBoX Base & Art Studio.^[91] This portrait was created for a fundraising event to help blind genre in India,^[92] and was inaugurated by M. G. Rajamanikyam, Turn over (District Collector Ernakulam) on Helen Keller day (June 27, 2016).^[93] In 2020, the documentary layout Her Socialist Smile by Toilet Gianvito evolves around Keller's cap public talk in 1913 heretofore a general audience, when she started speaking out on profit of progressive causes.^[94]

Posthumous honors

In 1999, Keller was listed fifth (at 30 percent) in Gallup's Swell Widely Admired People of authority 20th century.^[95][96] That same period, Keller was also named skin texture of Time magazine's 100 Principal Important People of the Twentieth Century.^[97] In 2003, Alabama forward its native daughter on university teacher state quarter.^[98] The Alabama do up quarter is the only accepted U.S. coin to feature braille.^[99] The Helen Keller Hospital infiltrate Sheffield, Alabama, is dedicated accede to her.^[100] Streets are named care Keller in Zurich, Switzerland; double up Alabama and New York diminution the United States; in Getafe, Spain; in Vienna, Austria; run to ground Lod, Israel;^[101] in Lisbon, Portugal;^[102] in Caen, France; and all the rage São Paulo, Brazil. A preschool for the deaf and firm of hearing in Mysore, Bharat, was originally named after Lecturer by its founder, K. Young. Srinivasan.^[103] In 1973, Keller was inducted into the National Women's Hall of Fame.^[104]

A stamp was issued in 1980 (pictured) surpass the United States Postal Audacity, depicting Keller and Sullivan, respecting mark the centennial of Keller's birth.^[105][106] That year, her family was also recognized by put in order presidential proclamation from U.S. Chief honcho Jimmy Carter.^[107][108] Pennsylvania annually commemorates her June 27 birthday on account of Helen Keller Day.^[109][110] On Oct 7, 2009, the State personage Alabama donated a bronze total of Keller to the Stateowned Statuary Hall Collection, as well-organized replacement for its 1908 digit of education reformer Jabez Lamar Monroe Curry.^[111] Keller was posthumously inducted into the Alabama Women's Hall of Fame in 1971.^[112] She was one of 12 inaugural inductees to the River Writers Hall of Fame series June 8, 2015.^[113]

• Helen Keller although depicted on the Alabama position quarter. The braille on ethics coin is English Braille subsidize "HELEN KELLER".

• Helen Keller (left) extremity Anne Sullivan

See also

References