Helen Keller

Helen Keller was born on 27 June 1880 . A severe fever at age 19 months  left Keller blind and deaf and barely able to communicate. At age six Keller met Anne Sullivan, who became Keller tutor teaching her the alphabet and thereby opened up the world to her. Keller received communications by lip reading, braille,  and finger-spelling using a manual alphabet, and she expressed herself  through finger-spelling, typewriting, and speech. Keller was an excellent  student and eventually attended Radcliffe College, where she graduated with honors in 1904. While at Radcliffe she wrote an autobiography, The Story of My Life (1902), which made her famous.
In later life Keller became an activist and lecturer, sometimes in support of the blind and deaf, and sometimes for causes including Socialism and women's rights. She also founded and promoted the American Federation for the Blind. During her lifetime Keller was regarded as one of America's most inspirational figures.