Born in Alabama in 1880, Helen Keller is revered as one of the world’s most inspiring and courageous figures. Keller, who was deaf and blind, brought hope to millions struggling through hardship, through her work as a writer, speaker, and activist. In her lectures and writings, Keller fought for the rights of people with disabilities and the rights of workers, for antimilitarism, suffrage, and other causes. Keller was an outspoken member of the Socialist Party of America and of the Industrial Workers of the World—in her life she was regarded as one of the most important and eloquent writers and lecturers on the subject of socialism. Among many pioneering accomplishments, Keller was the first deaf and blind person to graduate with a Bachelor of Arts, from Radcliffe College. She traveled the world to lecture and work, and her influence and the wide admiration she enjoyed led to many commendations and honors in and after her life, in the U.S. and abroad. Her visage can be found on coins and stamps, her life on stage and screen. Streets, hospitals, and schools bear her name. Helen Keller International continues to serve communities around the world. Keller died in 1968, at 87.