# Helen Keller

## Biography

Helen Adams Keller was born on June 27, 1880, in Tuscumbia, Alabama. At just 19 months old, a severe illness left her permanently blind and deaf. Growing up, her inability to communicate led to significant frustration and outbursts. This changed dramatically at the age of seven when her parents hired Anne Sullivan, a teacher who herself was visually impaired. Sullivan taught Keller to communicate by spelling words into her hand, a breakthrough moment often associated with the word "water" while at a pump.

Keller’s intelligence and determination flourished under Sullivan’s guidance. She attended the Perkins Institute for the Blind, the Horace Mann School for the Deaf, and the Cambridge School for Young Ladies before gaining admission to Radcliffe College. In 1904, she graduated cum laude, becoming the first deafblind person to earn a Bachelor of Arts degree. Keller went on to become a world-renowned author, lecturer, and political activist. She authored several books, including her autobiography "The Story of My Life," and tirelessly advocated for people with disabilities, women's suffrage, labor rights, and world peace. Keller’s inspiring life demonstrated the immense potential of individuals facing profound challenges. She passed away on June 1, 1968.

## Books

- [The Story of My Life: With her letters (1887-1901) and a supplementary account of her education, including passages from the reports and letters of her teacher, Anne Mansfield Sullivan, by John Albert Macy](https://samolit.com/books/96132)