This timeline focuses on important events that took place throughout Deaf history. The sources used for each event are hyperlinked and can be found by clicking the "read more" button under each description.
St. Augustine tells Christians that being Deaf was a sin. He believed deaf children were a sign of God's anger towards the parents.
One of the earliest forms of discrimination against deaf individuals takes place as Aristotle claims deaf people could not be educated. He believed if you could not hear then you could not learn.
In the 1500's, Geronimo Cardano was one of the first to recognize that you do not need to hear to learn. He developed a code of symbols to use with his deaf son and found the deaf could be educated using written text.
Pedro Ponce de Leon was a Spanish Benedictine Monk who started one of the world's first schools for the deaf at the Monastery of San Salvador. He taught his students to write the names of objects, then to read them, and finally how to speak them. His success proved wrong the pre-notions of deaf being unable to be educated.
In 1620, Juan Pablo Bonet published the first book on deaf education. The book consisted of four essays on methods for educating the deaf, along with visuals of his manual signed alphabet he used in his teachings.
For over two hundred years Martha's Vineyard was viewed as a deaf utopia where nearly everyone signed. Deaf people were fully integrated with the hearing on the island. Hereditary deafness overtook the island and in the small town of Chilmark, the ratio for deafness was 1:4 people. Hearing and deaf people lived harmoniously together. Deafness rates began to decrease when the school for the deaf was opened on the mainland nearby. Many deaf started to attend and leave and eventually the deafness phased out of the island.
Abbe de L'Epee was a French priest who established the first free public school for the deaf in France in 1771. He believed in sign language as the native language for deaf people and created his own signing system (based upon his students' home signs) for his teaching. This quickly spread across Europe and became known as French Sign Language, which heavily influenced the American Sign Language system we use today.
Jean Massieu was born in 1772, grew up deaf, and studied under the instruction of Abbe Sicard. When Sicard passed away, Massieu continued his work as a teacher himself. He is considered to be a pioneer in deaf education, for one of his students was Laurent Clerc, who later would help to establish Gallaudet University.
Samuel Heinicke is known as "the father of pure oralism". He was a deaf teacher who opened the first school for the deaf in Germany in 1778. He believed in oralism to teach his students to speak. His oralism teaching methods eventually spread, impacting the views of educating the deaf.
In 1779, Pierre Desloges became the first deaf man to publish a book. His book was written to defend sign language as the superior method of instruction in deaf education.
Eratus "Deaf" Smith was born in 1787 and is known for being one of Sam Houston's most trusted and superior scouts. Deaf Smith County is named in honor of this influential figure throughout the Texas Revolution.
Alessandro Volta is an Italian physicist who is known for creating interest in stimulating hearing through the use of electrical methods. By connecting a battery and inserting two metal rods into his ears, he described the sensation he felt as "a boom within the head".
Alice Cogswell is known as the first deaf student in America. Thomas Hopkins Gallaudet wanted to teach her how to communicate and began his studies to find the most effective ways to educate a deaf child. This initial meeting with Cogswell inspired the establishment of deaf schools in America later.
In 1815, Lydia Huntley Sigourney had a private school for girls in Hartford, Connecticut. She taught Alice Cogswell as well as her sisters. She was friends with Laurent Clerc and was influential in the founding of the American School for the Deaf.
When Abbe de L'Eppe passed away, Sicard, also a former student of his, took his place as the principal of his school for the deaf in Paris. in 1815, Sicard took his students Jean Massieu and Larent Clerc to London. It was on this trip where Clerc met Thomas H. Gallaudet, and formed a bond that would eventually lead to the spread of deaf education into America.
Thomas Hopkins Gallaudet and Laurent Clerc cofounded our nation’s first school for deaf children, American School for the Deaf, in Hartford, Connecticut.
In 1823, the Kentucky School for the Deaf was established. It was the first school for the deaf in the U.S. that was supported by the states.
Julia Brace was the first deaf-blind person to go to school in America. In 1825 she began attending what is now known as the American School for the Deaf in Hartford, Connecticut. In 1842, Samuel Howe attempted to educate her at Perkins Institute but did not last long nor succeed because she was thought to be too old. She returned back to Hartford and was able to remain at the school there as she cleaned, did laundry, and maintained other house hold chores.
James "Deaf" Burke was a famous deaf boxer and the first British champion to fight in America. He is most known for his match against Simon Bryne in 1833. Though Bryne was much bigger, Burke defeated him. However, three days later Bryne died and Burke became known for being the first boxer involved in a fight that resulted in a death.
Laura Bridgman was the first deaf-blind person to be educated. In 1837 she attended Perkins School for the blind. Dr. Samuel Gridley Howe began to teach Bridgman how to read and write using a tactile method. Bridgman's success influenced the continuing education of future deaf-blind individuals.
In, 1939, after sevral previously failed attempts, The Virginia School for the Deaf and Blind was established. This is the first school to have both deaf and blind students together.
1840-1912 is referred to as the "Golden Age of Deaf Education". Thirty different state schools were created for the deaf and around 40% of teachers were deaf.
In 1847, the American Annals for the Deaf was created. It functions as the oldest and most widely read journal that focuses primarily on the education of the deaf.
Established in 1850, the Convention of American Instructors of the deaf (CAID), is an organization for teachers and people involved in the education of the deaf. Professionals from the local, state, and national level gather together and are provided resources to improve the learning of their deaf students.
In the 1850's a man named John Flournoy, who was a graduate of the American School for the Deaf proposed the idea of a deaf state. He tried to get Congress to pass the notion for a state that would be dedicated for deaf people to allow them to flourish in their own environment. The notion was never passed.
In 1856, the Texas School for the Deaf was created. Located in Austin, the state's capital, it is the oldest public school for the deaf in the state of Texas.
In 1856, Amos Kendall, donated two acres of his estate in Washington, D.C. to establish a school and housing for 12 deaf and six blind students. This was called the Columbia Institution for the Instruction of the Deaf and Dumb and Blind. Later Kendall helped persuade Congress to grant the Columbia Institution the authority to award college degrees. This led to an establishment in 1864, which is now Gallaudet University.
Laura was a famous deaf journalist and poet. Writing during a time when it was hard for women to be taken seriously, she wrote under the pseudonym "Howard Glyndon." Laura was sent out as a war correspondent in1860 for the Civil War and interviewed several other influential figures such as Abraham Lincoln and General Grant.
Abraham Lincoln signed the Enabling Act and seven years after Edward Miner Gallaudet (Thomas Hopkins Gallaudet’s son) created his own school for deaf children in Washington, D.C., a division was created to form a university. The national College for the Deaf and Dumb (Gallaudet University) was established and is the only university for deaf and hard of hearing students in the U.S.
In 1865, Lexington School in New York City is founded and becomes the first pure oral school in the country.
In 1866, Melville Ballard became the first person to receive a bachelors degree from Gallaudet. After graduating, Ballard continued there as a teacher at the Kendall School for 52 years until he passed away. He also served as the first President of the Gallaudet Alumni Association.
Alexander Graham Bell opened a school in Boston, following the method of teaching Deaf people to speak. He was a strong supporter of the Aural Philosophy. He believed deafness should be eradicated.
Alexander Graham Bell invented a machine that could transmit sound via electricity. In 1876, he received official patent for the invention of the telephone, influencing modes of communication for future generations.
Thomas Edison was a great inventor who was hard of hearing, but having hearing problems from the beginning of his childhood did not stop his innovative mind. Edison is recorded to have received patents for 1,093 inventions. His most beloved was said to be the phonograph, which he patented in 1877. Other famous inventions include the lightbulb and kinetoscope.
The Milan Conference, an international meeting involving educators of the deaf, led to a heated debate about the use of sign language versus oralism to teach children who were deaf. The decision was made to ban the use of sign language when teaching deaf children.
The non profit, civil rights organization, The National Association of the Deaf, was created for deaf and hard of hearing people in America. Congregating on issues for the deaf community, sign language is a core value as it represents the interests of deaf individuals at the national level.
Laura Sheridan advocated for the inclusion of women at Gallaudet University. In 1881 she wrote a letter that was published in the American Annals of the Deaf, finally convincing the faculty to accept. In 1914 Sheridan was awarded an honorary Masters degree from Gallaudet.
The Texas Association, established in 1886, works to advocate, protect, and promote the rights of Deaf and hard of hearing individuals in the state of Texas.
In 1887, women are allowed to attend Gallaudet University. During the first several years, women were not allowed to leave campus alone and needed a chaperone to attend men's literary meetings.
Alexander Graham Bell establishes The Volta Bureau in Washington D.C. The Bureau is a collection of books, materials, and resources all related to deafness.
The Silent Worker was the first nationally distributed publication of the National association of the Deaf. It was produced at the New Jersey School of the Deaf, and helped many deaf people stay informed and connected in the news.
In 1890, Alexander Graham Bell helped organize the American Association to Promote the Teaching of Speech to the Deaf. Today, it is known as the Alexander Graham Bell Association for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing. This non profit organization advocates for the oral deaf and hard of hearing community, ensuring they have the opportunity to listen, talk, and excel in a mainstream environment.
The first electrical hearing aids are invented. This created a more comfortable and amplified sound system using microphones and batteries instead of weighing several pounds.
In 1893, Agatha Tiegel Hanson became the first woman to graduate from Gallaudet with a four year degree. She also served as the first woman valedictorian.
The National College for the Deaf and Dumb changes its name to Gallaudet University in honor of its first president, Thomas H. Gallaudet.
Olaf Hanson is believed to be the first deaf architect recorded. In 1895, he designed a boys dormitory on Gallaudet campus.
Hoy lost his hearing as a boy but became the first person to hit a grand slam in the American League in baseball. Umpire hand signals were developed so Hoy could see calls made from the outfield. Many people continue to lobby for him to enter the Hall of Fame. William “Dummy” Hoy was placed on the voting ballot in 1997 to be entered into the National Baseball Hall of Fame, but did not get elected.
In 1901, the Fraternal Society of the Deaf (NFSD) was founded by a group of young adults from the Michigan School for the Deaf. The NFSD offered insurance, advocacy, scholarships and support for the deaf.
Helen Keller became the first deaf blind person to graduate from college. She graduated from Radcliffe College with honors and became a famous spokeswoman and author, encouraging those with disabilities and many others.
George Veditz wrote a letter to Theodore Roosevelt concerning a ban that restricted deaf individuals to be hired for civil service positions. His first attempt was refused by Civil Service Commissioner General John Black. However, Veditz continued in his efforts and in 1908, Roosevelt banned the ruling.
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