Anne Sullivan Macy was Helen Keller's teacher and lifelong companion. She was born in 1866 in Feeding Hills, Massachusetts, to Irish immigrant parents. When she was five, she contracted scarlet fever, which left her blind. She was sent to the Perkins School for the Blind in Boston, where she learned to read and write using the raised-letter system.
In 1887, Sullivan was sent to Tuscumbia, Alabama, to teach Helen Keller, a six-year-old girl who was deaf and blind. Sullivan used the same methods she had learned at Perkins to teach Keller how to communicate. Keller eventually learned to read, write, and speak, and she became a famous author and lecturer.
Sullivan and Keller remained close friends for the rest of their lives. Sullivan died in 1936, and Keller died in 1968.
2. Alexander Graham Bell
Alexander Graham Bell was a Scottish-born inventor who is credited with inventing the telephone. He was born in 1847 in Edinburgh, Scotland, to a family of educators. Bell showed an early interest in science and technology, and he attended the University of Edinburgh to study engineering.
In 1870, Bell moved to the United States and settled in Boston, Massachusetts. He began working on a device that would allow people to transmit sound over electrical wires. In 1876, he successfully demonstrated the telephone, and he soon founded the Bell Telephone Company.
Bell's invention of the telephone had a profound impact on society. It allowed people to communicate over long distances, and it helped to connect the world in new ways. Bell died in 1922.
3. Mark Twain
Mark Twain was an American author and humorist who is considered one of the greatest writers in American literature. He was born in 1835 in Florida, Missouri, to a family of merchants. Twain's real name was Samuel Langhorne Clemens, but he adopted the pen name Mark Twain in 1863.
Twain began his career as a journalist and writer for the Virginia City Territorial Enterprise. He gained national fame in 1865 with the publication of his short story "The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County." Twain went on to write many other successful books, including "The Adventures of Tom Sawyer" (1876) and "The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn" (1884).
Twain's work is known for its humor, satire, and social commentary. He was a vocal critic of slavery and racism, and he used his writing to promote social justice. Twain died in 1910.
4. Thomas Edison
Thomas Edison was an American inventor and businessman who is credited with inventing the phonograph, the light bulb, and the motion picture camera. He was born in 1847 in Milan, Ohio, to a family of farmers. Edison showed an early interest in science and technology, and he began experimenting with electrical devices at a young age.
In 1869, Edison moved to New York City to pursue his career as an inventor. He soon founded his own company, the Edison Electric Light Company. In the 1870s, Edison developed the phonograph, a device that could record and play back sound. In 1879, he invented the light bulb, which revolutionized the way people lit their homes and businesses. In 1891, Edison developed the motion picture camera, which led to the development of the film industry.
Edison's inventions had a profound impact on society. They helped to improve people's lives and make the world a more modern place. Edison died in 1931.