List of deaf people
Encyclopedia
Important historical figures in deaf history and culture
Teresa de CartagenaTeresa de Cartagena
Teresa de Cartagena was a Spanish author and nun who fell deaf between 1453–1459, which influenced her two known works Arboleda de los enfermos and Admiraçión operum Dey...
, 15th Century Spanish nun who had become deaf, was exceptional in her time in confronting her disability and gaining fame as a religious writer (and is nowadays reckoned as one of the earliest feminist writers).
The idea that a person who was deaf could achieve a notable or distinguished status was not common until the latter half of the 18th century, when Abbé Charles-Michel de l'Épée
Charles-Michel de l'Épée
Abbé Charles-Michel de l'Épée was a philanthropic educator of 18th-century France who has become known as the "Father of the Deaf".-Overview:...
founded the world's first public school for deaf students in Paris. The Abbe de l'Épée was one of the first advocates for using sign language
Sign language
A sign language is a language which, instead of acoustically conveyed sound patterns, uses visually transmitted sign patterns to convey meaning—simultaneously combining hand shapes, orientation and movement of the hands, arms or body, and facial expressions to fluidly express a speaker's...
in deaf education, as a means to raise deaf people to literacy and to provide an avenue to an independent lifestyle. Prior to de l'Épée, only the deaf children of royal, aristocratic or wealthy families were afforded any type of education.
Épée originally favored using a fabricated sign system, similar to Signed Exact English, based on French grammar and sound. The local Deaf communities insisted on maintaining their own Paris sign language, and on his deathbed de l'Épée wrote his final work decrying all constructed systems and finally endorsing the use of the natural signed languages made by Deaf people.
The success of the Paris school spawned similar schools throughout Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
and the New World
New World
The New World is one of the names used for the Western Hemisphere, specifically America and sometimes Oceania . The term originated in the late 15th century, when America had been recently discovered by European explorers, expanding the geographical horizon of the people of the European middle...
. Significant in American history, deaf Frenchman Laurent Clerc
Laurent Clerc
Laurent Clerc , born Louis Laurent Marie Clerc, was called "The Apostle of the deaf in America" by generations of American deaf people...
, both a student and teacher at the Paris school (1798–1816), and Rev. Thomas Hopkins Gallaudet
Thomas Hopkins Gallaudet
Reverend Thomas Hopkins Gallaudet, LL.D., was a renowned American pioneer in the education of the Deaf. Along with Laurent Clerc and Mason Cogswell, he co-founded the first institution for the education of the Deaf in North America, and he became its first principal...
, a hearing American, founded the first school for the deaf in Hartford, Connecticut
Hartford, Connecticut
Hartford is the capital of the U.S. state of Connecticut. The seat of Hartford County until Connecticut disbanded county government in 1960, it is the second most populous city on New England's largest river, the Connecticut River. As of the 2010 Census, Hartford's population was 124,775, making...
in 1816. Clerc, along with Paris school faculty members Jean Massieu
Jean Massieu
Jean Massieu was a pioneering Deaf educator, having been born Deaf, and having five other Deaf siblings. He taught at the famous school for the Deaf in Paris where Laurent Clerc was one of his students...
and Ferdinand Berthier
Ferdinand Berthier
Ferdinand Berthier was a deaf educator, intellectual and political organiser in nineteenth-century France, and is one of the earliest champions of Deaf identity and culture.Berthier first attended the famous school for the Deaf in Paris as a young student in 1811, when the school was under the...
formed the core of a group of pioneering deaf intellectuals. They are joined by many people on this list who, like them, were born deaf, used a sign language
Sign language
A sign language is a language which, instead of acoustically conveyed sound patterns, uses visually transmitted sign patterns to convey meaning—simultaneously combining hand shapes, orientation and movement of the hands, arms or body, and facial expressions to fluidly express a speaker's...
as their mother language
Language
Language may refer either to the specifically human capacity for acquiring and using complex systems of communication, or to a specific instance of such a system of complex communication...
, and were notable for their leadership and accomplishments.
- Ferdinand BerthierFerdinand BerthierFerdinand Berthier was a deaf educator, intellectual and political organiser in nineteenth-century France, and is one of the earliest champions of Deaf identity and culture.Berthier first attended the famous school for the Deaf in Paris as a young student in 1811, when the school was under the...
, French intellectual, published several articles, first deaf person to receive the French Legion of Honor, founder of world's first deaf organization - Julia BraceJulia BraceJulia Brace was a deafblind who received no special instruction until she reached adulthood.-Biography:She was born to a poor family in Hartford County, Connecticut, and became deafblind at age five from typhus fever. She gradually stopped speaking and developed a system of home sign that she used...
(1807–1884), early American deaf-blindDeafblindnessDeafblindness is the condition of little or no useful sight and little or no useful hearing. Educationally, individuals are considered to be deafblind when the combination of their hearing and vision loss causes such severe communication and other developmental and educational needs that they...
student at the Hartford School for the DeafAmerican School for the DeafThe American School for the Deaf is the oldest permanent school for the deaf in the United States. It was founded April 15, 1817 in Hartford, Connecticut by Thomas Hopkins Gallaudet and Laurent Clerc and became a state-supported school in 1817.-History:... - John Brewster Jr. (1766–1854), American, itinerant artist of the Federalist Period in America
- Laura BridgmanLaura BridgmanLaura Dewey Lynn Bridgman is known as the first deaf-blind American child to gain a significant education in the English language, fifty years before the more famous Helen Keller...
, (1829–1889), American, first deaf-blind student of Dr. Samuel Howe at the Perkins School for the BlindPerkins School for the BlindPerkins School for the Blind, located in Watertown, Massachusetts, is the oldest schools for the blind in the United States. It has also been known as the Perkins Institution for the Blind.-History:... - Laurent ClercLaurent ClercLaurent Clerc , born Louis Laurent Marie Clerc, was called "The Apostle of the deaf in America" by generations of American deaf people...
(1785–1869), French-American, co-founder of first school for the deaf in America, first deaf teacher of the deaf in America - Pierre DeslogesPierre DeslogesBorn in 1747 in the Touraine region of France, Pierre Desloges moved to Paris as a young man, where he became a bookbinder and upholsterer. He was deafened at age seven from smallpox, but did not learn to sign until he was twenty-seven, when he was taught by a deaf Italian.In 1779, he wrote what...
(1742-??), French deaf writer and bookbinder, first known deaf person to publish a book - William Elsworth "Dummy" HoyDummy HoyWilliam Ellsworth Hoy , nicknamed "Dummy," was an American center fielder in Major League Baseball who played for several teams from 1888 to 1902, most notably the Cincinnati Reds and two Washington, D.C...
(1862–1961), American baseball player - Helen KellerHelen KellerHelen Adams Keller was an American author, political activist, and lecturer. She was the first deafblind person to earn a Bachelor of Arts degree....
, American deaf-blind writer, lecturer, and actor - Granville RedmondGranville RedmondGranville Redmond was an American landscape painter and exponent of Tonalism and California Impressionism.- Early years :...
, American painter - Douglas TildenDouglas TildenDouglas Tilden was a world-famous sculptor. Tilden was deaf and attended the California School for the Deaf in Berkeley, California . Tilden became deaf at the age of four after a severe bout of scarlet fever...
, American sculptor - Will J. QuinlanWill J. QuinlanWill J. Quinlan , artist, was born in Brooklyn on June 27, 1877. He lost his hearing as a child. He had an early interest in art and attended the Academy of Design, Pratt Institute and Adelphi Academy in Brooklyn. He was an accomplished etcher, primarily of architectural city scenes, and also...
, American Artist, etcher, painter - Gideon Moore, the first Deaf people to obtain a doctorate degree (1869)
Notable Children of Deaf Adults (CODAs)
- Alexander Graham BellAlexander Graham BellAlexander Graham Bell was an eminent scientist, inventor, engineer and innovator who is credited with inventing the first practical telephone....
, whose mother, Eliza Grace Symonds Bell, was hard of hearing, and whose wife, Mabel Hubbard, became deaf at age 5 - Lon Chaney, Sr.Lon Chaney, Sr.Lon Chaney , nicknamed "The Man of a Thousand Faces," was an American actor during the age of silent films. He was one of the most versatile and powerful actors of early cinema...
, American actor raised by deaf parents, whose upbringing allowed him to communicate better in silent films - Kambri CrewsKambri CrewsKambri Crews is an American comedic storyteller based in New York City and author of Burn Down the Ground, a memoir of her chaotic childhood with deaf parents...
, American author, comedic storyteller and producer who incorporates sign language in performances and whose maternal grandparents are also deaf. - Louise FletcherLouise FletcherLouise Fletcher is an American actress best known for her role as Nurse Ratched in One Flew over the Cuckoo's Nest, for which she won the Academy Award for Best Actress, and as Kai Winn Adami in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. She also guest starred on the science fiction television series Heroes...
, American Academy Award-winning actress for One Flew Over the Cuckoo's NestOne Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (film)One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest is a 1975 American drama film directed by Miloš Forman and based on the 1962 novel of the same name by Ken Kesey.... - Edward Miner GallaudetEdward Miner GallaudetEdward Miner Gallaudet , son of Thomas Hopkins Gallaudet and Sophia Fowler Gallaudet, was a famous early educator of the deaf in Washington, DC...
, founder of Gallaudet UniversityGallaudet UniversityGallaudet University is a federally-chartered university for the education of the deaf and hard of hearing, located in the District of Columbia, U.S...
, son of Sophia Fowler GallaudetSophia Fowler GallaudetSophia Fowler Gallaudet , was the wife of Thomas Hopkins Gallaudet. As the founding matron of the school that became Gallaudet University, she played an important role in Deaf history, even playing a key role in lobbying Congressmen in the effort to establish Gallaudet...
and Thomas Hopkins GallaudetThomas Hopkins GallaudetReverend Thomas Hopkins Gallaudet, LL.D., was a renowned American pioneer in the education of the Deaf. Along with Laurent Clerc and Mason Cogswell, he co-founded the first institution for the education of the Deaf in North America, and he became its first principal...
, founder of the American School for the DeafAmerican School for the DeafThe American School for the Deaf is the oldest permanent school for the deaf in the United States. It was founded April 15, 1817 in Hartford, Connecticut by Thomas Hopkins Gallaudet and Laurent Clerc and became a state-supported school in 1817.-History:...
, the first school for the deaf in the U.S. - Richard GriffithsRichard GriffithsRichard Griffiths, OBE is an English actor of stage, film and television. He has received the Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actor, the Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Actor in a Play, the Outer Critics Circle Award for Best Featured Actor and a Tony Award for Best Performance by a Leading Actor...
, English actor - Stefan LeForsStefan LeForsStefan Wayne LeFors is a former quarterback in American and Canadian football who is currently a high school coach. He was originally drafted by the Carolina Panthers in the fourth round of the 2005 NFL Draft...
, Canadian football quarterback for the Winnipeg Blue BombersWinnipeg Blue BombersThe Winnipeg Blue Bombers are a Canadian football team based in Winnipeg, Manitoba. They are currently members of the East Division of the Canadian Football League . They play their home games at Canad Inns Stadium, and plan to move to a new stadium for the 2012 season.The Blue Bombers were founded... - Homer ThornberryHomer ThornberryWilliam Homer Thornberry was a United States Representative from the 10th congressional district of Texas from 1948 to 1963, and then was a federal judge.-Biography:...
, United States Representative from the 10th congressional district of TexasTexasTexas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
from 1948 to 1963 - Jim VerrarosJim VerrarosJames Conrad "Jim" Verraros is an American singer/entertainer and native of Crystal Lake, Illinois who is most notable for being one of the top 10 finalists in the first season of American Idol...
, American IdolAmerican IdolAmerican Idol, titled American Idol: The Search for a Superstar for the first season, is a reality television singing competition created by Simon Fuller and produced by FremantleMedia North America and 19 Entertainment...
finalist, season 1 - Keith WannKeith WannKeith Wann is an American child of two deaf adults. He was born January 4, 1969. He has turned his life-long dealings with American Sign Language into a performance art show. He caters to all hearing, deaf, and hard-of-hearing audiences. In his act, Wann takes his audience on a "visual" journey...
, performer in a deaf comedic troupe, Iceworm, showcasing cultural and linguistic barriers between the deaf and hearing worlds
Notable deaf people
- Linda BoveLinda BoveLinda Bove is a deaf American actress who played the part of Linda the Librarian on the children's television program Sesame Street from 1971 to 2003.-Sesame Street:...
, actress - Deanne BrayDeanne BrayDeanne Bray is a Deaf American actress who is best known for her role as Sue Thomas in the show Sue Thomas: F.B.Eye. She is also known for her recurring role as Emma Coolidge on Heroes.-Personal life:...
, actress who played the lead role on Sue Thomas: F.B.EyeSue Thomas: F.B.EyeSue Thomas: F.B.Eye is a Canadian-American television series that premiered in the United States in 2002 and Canada in 2003. The show ended in May 2005 due to PAX's decision to halt the production of original programming. It was one of the two highest rated shows on PAX. In September 2009, Gospel... - Oreste CarpiOreste CarpiOreste Carpi was an Italian deaf painter, engraver and ceramist.-Biography:Oreste Carpi was born in Poviglio, near Reggio Emilia, and received early training in painting at "Paolo Toschi" art school in Parma....
, Italian painter (1921–2008) - Robert R. DavilaRobert R. DavilaDr. Robert Davila served as the ninth president of Gallaudet University, the world's only university in which all programs and services are specifically designed to accommodate deaf and hard of hearing students...
, ninth president of Gallaudet UniversityGallaudet UniversityGallaudet University is a federally-chartered university for the education of the deaf and hard of hearing, located in the District of Columbia, U.S... - Ashley Fiolek, FWA Motocross Champion
- Phyllis FrelichPhyllis FrelichPhyllis Frelich is an American actress, and, with Marlee Matlin, one of the two pre-eminent deaf actresses in the United States. Frelich was born in Devils Lake, North Dakota to deaf parents and is the oldest of 9 children...
, Tony AwardTony AwardThe Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Theatre, more commonly known as a Tony Award, recognizes achievement in live Broadway theatre. The awards are presented by the American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League at an annual ceremony in New York City. The awards are given for Broadway...
winner for her role in the stage production of Children of a Lesser GodChildren of a Lesser God (play)Children of a Lesser God is a play by Mark Medoff, published in 1980 focusing on the conflicted professional and romantic relationship between deaf former student, Sarah Norman, and her teacher, James Leeds. The play was specially written for the Deaf actress Phyllis Frelich, based to some extent... - Matt HamillMatt HamillMatthew S. Hamill is a retired American wrestler and mixed martial artist. He is a three-time NCAA Division III National Champion in wrestling while attending the Rochester Institute of Technology in Rochester, New York...
, MMA fighter - T. Alan Hurwitz, tenth president of Gallaudet UniversityGallaudet UniversityGallaudet University is a federally-chartered university for the education of the deaf and hard of hearing, located in the District of Columbia, U.S...
and former Vice President of National Technical Institute for the DeafNational Technical Institute for the DeafThe National Technical Institute for the Deaf is the first and largest technological college in the world for students who are deaf or hard of hearing... - Paul JohnstonPaul Johnston-See also:*Paul Johnstone *Paul Johnson...
, De'VIA Artist, Sculptor and Educator - I. King JordanI. King JordanIrving King Jordan became, in 1988, the first deaf president of Gallaudet University, the world's only university with all programs and services designed specifically for students who are deaf and hard of hearing...
, first deaf president of Gallaudet UniversityGallaudet UniversityGallaudet University is a federally-chartered university for the education of the deaf and hard of hearing, located in the District of Columbia, U.S... - Mojo MathersMojo MathersMojo Mathers is a New Zealand politician. She became known through her involvement with the Malvern Hills Protection Society and helped prevent the Central Plains Water Trust's proposal to build a large irrigation dam in Coalgate. She has been a senior policy advisor to the Green Party since...
(b. 1966), New Zealand politician - Marlee MatlinMarlee MatlinMarlee Bethany Matlin is an American actress. She is the only deaf actress to win the Academy Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role, which she won for Children of a Lesser God. Her work in film and television has resulted in a Golden Globe award, with two additional nominations, and four Emmy...
, first deaf woman to win an Academy Award (Best ActressAcademy Award for Best ActressPerformance by an Actress in a Leading Role is one of the Academy Awards of merit presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to recognize an actress who has delivered an outstanding performance while working within the film industry...
) for her role in Children of a Lesser GodChildren of a Lesser GodChildren of a Lesser God is a 1986 American romantic drama film directed by Randa Haines and written by Hesper Anderson and Mark Medoff. An adaptation of Medoff's Tony Award-winning stage play of the same name, the film stars William Hurt and Marlee Matlin as two employees at a school for the deaf:... - Dame Kathleen OllerenshawKathleen OllerenshawDame Kathleen Mary Ollerenshaw, née Timpson, DBE is a British mathematician and politician. Deaf since the age of eight, she loved doing arithmetic problems as a child. As a young woman, she attended St Leonards School and Sixth Form College in St Andrews, Scotland where today the house of young...
, (b. 1912) British mathematician and politician - Sean Berdy, actor
- SignmarkSignmarkSignmark is a deaf Finnish rap artist. He describes his music as being party hip hop that takes a stand...
, Finnish rap artist - Slava RaškajSlava RaškajSlava Raškaj was a painter considered to be the greatest Croatian watercolorist of the late 19th and early 20th century. Deaf since birth, Raškaj was schooled in Vienna and Zagreb, where her mentor was the Croatian painter Bela Čikoš Sesija. In the 1890s her works were exhibited around Europe,...
(1877–1906), Croatian painter - Shoshannah SternShoshannah Stern-Life:She was born in Walnut Creek, California into an observant Jewish and fourth-generation deaf family. One of her grandmothers is a Holocaust survivor. Her hometown is Fremont, California, where she attended the California School for the Deaf, Fremont....
, actress in JerichoJericho (TV series)Jericho is an American action/drama series that centers on the residents of the fictional town of Jericho, Kansas, in the aftermath of nuclear attacks on 23 major cities in the contiguous United States...
and WeedsWeeds (TV series)Weeds is an American television comedy created by Jenji Kohan and produced by Tilted Productions in association with Lionsgate Television. The central character is Nancy Botwin , a widowed mother of two boys who begins selling marijuana to support her family after her husband dies suddenly of a... - Sue ThomasSue ThomasSue Thomas may refer to:* Sue Thomas , a deaf agent of the United States Federal Bureau of Investigation** Sue Thomas: F.B.Eye, a television show based on the agent's life*Susan Thomas, Baroness Thomas of Walliswood* Sue Thomas...
, first deaf person to work as an undercover investigator doing lip-reading of suspects for the Federal Bureau of Investigation. - Heather WhitestoneHeather WhitestoneHeather Leigh Whitestone McCallum is a former beauty queen who was the first deaf Miss America title holder, having lost most of her hearing at the age of 18 months.-Early life:...
, first deaf woman to win the title of Miss AmericaMiss AmericaThe Miss America pageant is a long-standing competition which awards scholarships to young women from the 50 states plus the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands...
Notable people with hearing loss
- Lance AllredLance AllredLance Collin Allred is an American professional basketball player. Allred is hearing impaired, with a 75-80% hearing loss. He is the first legally deaf player in NBA history...
, American basketball player, first deaf person to play in the NBANational Basketball AssociationThe National Basketball Association is the pre-eminent men's professional basketball league in North America. It consists of thirty franchised member clubs, of which twenty-nine are located in the United States and one in Canada... - Guillaume AmontonsGuillaume AmontonsGuillaume Amontons was a French scientific instrument inventor and physicist. He was one of the pioneers in tribology, apart from Leonardo da Vinci, John Theophilus Desaguliers, Leonard Euler and Charles-Augustin de Coulomb.-Life:Guillaume was born in Paris, France. His father was a lawyer from...
, French inventor and physicist - Cliff BastinCliff BastinClifford Sydney Bastin was an English football player.Born in Heavitree near Exeter, Bastin started his career at Exeter City, making his debut for the club in 1928, at the age of 16...
, British footballFootball (soccer)Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...
er - Luis BuñuelLuis BuñuelLuis Buñuel Portolés was a Spanish-born filmmaker — later a naturalized citizen of Mexico — who worked in Spain, Mexico, France and the US..-Early years:...
, Spanish surrealist filmmaker and poet - Gertrude EderleGertrude EderleGertrude Caroline Ederle was an American competitive swimmer. In 1926, she became the first woman to swim across the English Channel. Gertrude Ederle was the daughter of a German immigrant who ran a butcher shop on Amsterdam Avenue in Manhattan; she was born in New York City. She was known as...
, American competitive swimmer, first woman to swim the English Channel - Thomas EdisonThomas EdisonThomas Alva Edison was an American inventor and businessman. He developed many devices that greatly influenced life around the world, including the phonograph, the motion picture camera, and a long-lasting, practical electric light bulb. In addition, he created the world’s first industrial...
, American inventor - Lou FerrignoLou FerrignoLouis Jude "Lou" Ferrigno is an American actor, fitness trainer/consultant, and retired professional bodybuilder. As a bodybuilder, Ferrigno won an IFBB Mr. America title and two consecutive IFBB Mr. Universe titles, and appeared in the bodybuilding documentary Pumping Iron...
, American actor and bodybuilder - Walter GeikieWalter GeikieWalter Geikie , Scottish painter, was born at Edinburgh.In his second year he was attacked by a "nervous fever" by which he permanently lost the faculty of hearing, but through the careful attention of his father he was enabled to obtain a good education...
, Scottish painter - Francisco GoyaFrancisco GoyaFrancisco José de Goya y Lucientes was a Spanish romantic painter and printmaker regarded both as the last of the Old Masters and the first of the moderns. Goya was a court painter to the Spanish Crown, and through his works was both a commentator on and chronicler of his era...
, Spanish painter - Oliver HeavisideOliver HeavisideOliver Heaviside was a self-taught English electrical engineer, mathematician, and physicist who adapted complex numbers to the study of electrical circuits, invented mathematical techniques to the solution of differential equations , reformulated Maxwell's field equations in terms of electric and...
, British engineer, mathematician and physicist - Georgia HorsleyGeorgia HorsleyGeorgia Faye Horsley won the Miss England 2007 title and the opportunity to represent England in the Miss World 2007 pageant which was held in Sanya, China on 1 December that year.-Biography:...
, Miss England 2007 and contestant in Miss World 2007Miss World 2007Miss World 2007, the 57th Miss World pageant was held at the Crown of Beauty Theatre, Sanya, People's Republic of China on December 1, 2007. It was hosted by Fernando Allende and Angela Chow. Zhang Zilin of the People's Republic of China won the crown and succeeded Miss World 2006, Taťána Kuchařová... - I. King JordanI. King JordanIrving King Jordan became, in 1988, the first deaf president of Gallaudet University, the world's only university with all programs and services designed specifically for students who are deaf and hard of hearing...
, the first president of Gallaudet UniversityGallaudet UniversityGallaudet University is a federally-chartered university for the education of the deaf and hard of hearing, located in the District of Columbia, U.S...
with a profound hearing loss - Juliette Gordon LowJuliette Gordon LowJuliette Gordon Low was an American youth leader and the founder of the Girl Scouts of the USA in 1912.-Early life:...
, founder of the Girl Scouts of AmericaGirl Scouts of the USAThe Girl Scouts of the United States of America is a youth organization for girls in the United States and American girls living abroad. It describes itself as "the world's preeminent organization dedicated solely to girls". It was founded by Juliette Gordon Low in 1912 and was organized after Low... - Rob LoweRob LoweRobert Hepler "Rob" Lowe is an American actor. Lowe came to prominence after appearing in films such as The Outsiders, Oxford Blues, About Last Night..., St. Elmo's Fire, and Wayne's World. On television, Lowe is known for his role as Sam Seaborn on The West Wing and his role as Senator Robert...
, American actor, completely deaf in right ear - Henrietta LeavittHenrietta Swan LeavittHenrietta Swan Leavitt was an American astronomer. A graduate of Radcliffe College, Leavitt went to work in 1893 at the Harvard College Observatory in a menial capacity as a "computer", assigned to count images on photographic plates...
, American astronomer - Harold MacGrathHarold MacGrathHarold MacGrath was a bestselling American novelist, short story writer, and screenwriter.Also known occasionally as Harold McGrath, he was born in Syracuse, New York...
, American author - Sir William McMahonWilliam McMahonSir William "Billy" McMahon, GCMG, CH , was an Australian Liberal politician and the 20th Prime Minister of Australia...
, Australian politician and Prime Minister - Pierre de RonsardPierre de RonsardPierre de Ronsard was a French poet and "prince of poets" .-Early life:...
, French poet - R. N. TaberR. N. TaberR. N. Taber is an English poet and novelist.Raised in Kent, he graduated from the University of Kent during 1973. He is a librarian by profession, and currently lives in London. He has written for various poetry magazines and anthologies across England and America...
, English poet - Judith WrightJudith WrightJudith Arundell Wright was an Australian poet, environmentalist and campaigner for Aboriginal land rights.-Biography:...
, Australian poet - Miha ZupanMiha ZupanMiha Zupan Miha Zupan Miha Zupan (born September 13, 1982 in Kranj, Slovenia, is a Slovenian professional basketball player. Despite being deaf since birth, he plays among hearing players at the highest level in Europe...
, Slovenian basketball player, first deaf person to play in the EuroleagueEuroleagueEuroleague Basketball, commonly known as the Euroleague, is the highest level tier and most important professional club basketball competition in Europe, with teams from up to 18 different countries, members of FIBA Europe. For sponsorship reasons, for five seasons starting with 2010–2011, it is... - Halle BerryHalle BerryHalle Berry is an American actress and a former fashion model. Berry received an Emmy, Golden Globe, SAG, and an NAACP Image Award for Introducing Dorothy Dandridge and won an Academy Award for Best Actress and was nominated for a BAFTA Award in 2001 for her performance in Monster's Ball, becoming...
, American Actress, acquired unilateral hearing loss
Musicians with hearing loss
- Mandy HarveyMandy HarveyMandy Harvey is a deaf American jazz singer and songwriter. A Vocal Music Education major at Colorado State University, Mandy lost her hearing in 2006-2007 at age eighteen and left. She pursued several career options, including education, but returned to music in 2008. Smile is a self-produced...
, American Jazz singer - Ludwig van BeethovenLudwig van BeethovenLudwig van Beethoven was a German composer and pianist. A crucial figure in the transition between the Classical and Romantic eras in Western art music, he remains one of the most famous and influential composers of all time.Born in Bonn, then the capital of the Electorate of Cologne and part of...
, German composer - William Boyce, British composer
- Rudi CarrellRudi CarrellRudi Carrell , born Rudolf Wijbrand Kesselaar, was a Dutch entertainer. Along with famous entertainers such as Johannes Heesters, Linda de Mol and Sylvie van der Vaart, Carrell was one of the most successful Dutch personalities active in Germany.He worked as a television entertainer and hosted his...
, Dutch popular singer - Gabriel FauréGabriel FauréGabriel Urbain Fauré was a French composer, organist, pianist and teacher. He was one of the foremost French composers of his generation, and his musical style influenced many 20th century composers...
, French composer - Johnnie RayJohnnie RayJohnnie Ray was an American singer, songwriter, and pianist. Popular for most of the 1950s, Ray has been cited by critics as a major precursor of what would become rock and roll, for his jazz and blues-influenced music and his animated stage personality.-Early life:John Alvin Ray was born in...
, American popular singer - Bedřich SmetanaBedrich SmetanaBedřich Smetana was a Czech composer who pioneered the development of a musical style which became closely identified with his country's aspirations to independent statehood. He is thus widely regarded in his homeland as the father of Czech music...
, Czech composer - Pete TownshendPete TownshendPeter Dennis Blandford "Pete" Townshend is an English rock guitarist, vocalist, songwriter and author, known principally as the guitarist and songwriter for the rock group The Who, as well as for his own solo career...
, British lead guitarist and songwriter - Evelyn GlennieEvelyn GlennieDame Evelyn Elizabeth Ann Glennie, DBE is a Scottish virtuoso percussionist. She was the first full-time solo percussionist in 20th-century western society.-Early life:Glennie was born and raised in Aberdeenshire...
, Scottish percussionist - Ayumi HamasakiAyumi Hamasakiis a Japanese singer-songwriter, record producer, model, lyricist, and actress. Also called "Ayu" by her fans, Hamasaki has been dubbed the "Empress of Pop" because of her popularity and widespread influence in Japan and throughout Asia. Born and raised in Fukuoka, she moved to Tokyo at fourteen to...
, Japanese popular singer and songwriter - Ryan AdamsRyan AdamsDavid Ryan Adams is an American alt-country/rock singer-songwriter, from Jacksonville, North Carolina. Initially part of the group Whiskeytown, Adams left the band and released his first solo album Heartbreaker in 2000...
, American alternative country artist - George MartinGeorge MartinSir George Henry Martin CBE is an English record producer, arranger, composer and musician. He is sometimes referred to as "the Fifth Beatle"— a title that he often describes as "nonsense," but the fact remains that he served as producer on all but one of The Beatles' original albums...
, English bandleader and producer - Foxy Brown, American rap artist
- Brian WilsonBrian WilsonBrian Douglas Wilson is an American musician, best known as the leader and chief songwriter of the group The Beach Boys. Within the band, Wilson played bass and keyboards, also providing part-time lead vocals and, more often, backing vocals, harmonizing in falsetto with the group...
, American musician and songwriter - Danny ElfmanDanny ElfmanDaniel Robert "Danny" Elfman is an American composer, best known for scoring music for television and film. Up until 1995, he was the lead singer and songwriter in the rock band Oingo Boingo, a group he formed in 1976...
, film score composer and former member of Oingo BoingoOingo BoingoOingo Boingo was an American new wave band. They are best known for their influence on other musicians, their soundtrack contributions and their high energy Halloween concerts. The band was founded in 1972 as The Mystic Knights of the Oingo Boingo, a performance art group... - Lars UlrichLars UlrichLars Ulrich is a Danish drummer, and one of the founding members of the American thrash metal band Metallica. He was born in Gentofte, Denmark to an upper-middle class family. A tennis player in his youth, Ulrich moved to Los Angeles, California at age sixteen to pursue his training; though rather...
, drummer of MetallicaMetallicaMetallica is an American heavy metal band from Los Angeles, California. Formed in 1981 when James Hetfield responded to an advertisement that drummer Lars Ulrich had posted in a local newspaper. The current line-up features long-time lead guitarist Kirk Hammett and bassist Robert Trujillo ... - KyoKyo (musician)is the vocalist of Japanese band Dir En Grey. He has been with the band since its inception in 1997 and was formerly in La:Sadie's. Kyo was inspired to become a rock star when he saw a picture of Buck-Tick vocalist Atsushi Sakurai on the desk of a junior high school classmate.While he has only...
, singer of Dir en greyDir en greyDir En Grey is a Japanese metal band formed in 1997 and currently signed to Firewall Div., a sub-division of Free-Will. As of 2011, they have recorded eight full-length records...