Helen Keller

Lighting The Way for the Blind and

the Deaf

Born on: June 27,

1880

Died on: June

1,1968

1882

Helen Keller was only 2 years old

when she developed an illness leaving her blind and

deaf.

1887

Anne Sullivan becomes Helen’s

teacher; Helen discovers the meaning of

language at the water pump.

1890

Helen begins voice lessons at the Horace Mann

School for the Deaf in Boston.

1888

She visits the Perkins Institution

for the Blind in Boston.

1894

She attends

the Wright-Humason School for the Deaf in

New YorkCity.

1896

Her father, Arthur Henley Keller, dies;

enrolls in the Cambridge School for

Young Ladies.

1897-1898

Leaves the Cambridge

School and is privately tutored.

1900

Enters Radcliffe College.

1903

She publishes

her autobiography, “The Story of My

Life.”

1904

Graduates with honors from Radcliffe

College; she and Sullivan buy a farmhouse in Wrentham,

Massachusetts.

1905

Anne Sullivan marries

John Macy.

1908

Keller writes “The World I Live In.”

1909

She joins the

Socialists Party of

Massachusetts.

1913

Publishes “Out of The

Dark”, a series of essays on socialism.

1914

Macy and Sullivan

separate; Polly

Thompson becomes

part of the household.

1916

Keller becomes

romantically involved with Peter Fagan.

Peter Fagan

1917

Moves to Forest Hills,

New York, with Sullivan and Thompson.

1919

Appears in the movie

Deliverance, based on her

life.

1920-1924

Performs on the

vaudeville circuit.

She begins working for

the American Foundation

for the Blind.

1924

1931

Helps establish uniform Braille code; aids in

creating national

system of libraries for the blind.

1932

John Macy dies; Keller receives

honorary doctor of law degree

from University of Glasgow.

1933

Nella Braddy’s

biography Anne

Sullivan Macy is

published.

1936

Anne Sullivan dies.

1937

Keller travels to Japan on behalf of the blind.

She begins touring for the American

Foundation for the Overseas Blind.

1946-1957

Travels to Hiroshima, Japan.

1948

Hiroshima Castle, Hiroshima, Japan

1953

The Unconquered, a documentary of

Keller’s life, is released.

1955

Publishes Teacher, a

biography of Anne

Sullivan.

1957

The Miracle Worker, a drama based on Helen Keller’s childhood, is

broadcasts live on television.

1960

Polly Thompson dies.

1961

Keller has a stroke.

1964

Awarded the Presidential Medal of

Freedom.

1965

Elected to Women’s

Hall of Fame.

Dies on June 1 after suffering a

heart attack.

1968

The End