Born in Alabama, Helen Keller lost her sight and hearing at 19 months old due to illness. She communicated through home signs until age seven when she met her teacher Anne Sullivan, who taught her language and academics. Keller became the first deafblind person in the US to earn a Bachelor of Arts degree from Radcliffe College. She authored numerous books and speeches on various topics and was an advocate for disability rights, women's suffrage, labor rights, and world peace. Keller's autobiography, "The Story of My Life," and its adaptations brought her education and life with Sullivan to public attention. She was a member of the Socialist Party of America and a founding member of the ACLU. Her birthplace is a National Historic Landmark, preserved as a house museum and hosts an annual "Helen Keller Day" since 1954.
