Famous Blind People
They say if you lose one sense, the other four becomes stronger. Quite true it is for the below mentioned list of famous blind people who achieved so much in their lifetime despite their physical shortcomings that can put any ‘normal’ or ‘physically perfect’ man/woman to shame. Blindness was just a small obstacle in the journey of greatness for these iconic figures. They did not let the visual impairment come in between their ambition and determination and with a strong grit and resolve, went ahead to conquer the world. Helen Keller, a political activist and author, became the first bind-deaf person to get a Bachelor’s degree of Arts. Composer, musician and producer Stevie Wonder became the ‘Wonder Boy’ of the music industry despite his visual impairment. Had it not been for Louis Braille, no blind person in the world would have ever enjoyed a story or been able to comprehend important paperwork. Inventor of Braille writing, which enables blind people to read through feeling a series of organized bumps representing letters, Louis Braille transformed the world for the visually challenged. And these are just a handful of the many more famous blind men/women who rose above their inadequacies. Check out section to know more about famous blind people who made it big in life.
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Birthdate: October 7, 1968
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Wellingborough
English musician, Thom Yorke, is the main vocalist and songwriter of the rock band Radiohead. He is a multi-instrumentalist as well. Active in the music industry for over 35 years, he performs both as part of his band and as a solo artist. He is a human rights activist and also supports animal rights, environmental and anti-war causes.
Birthdate: April 15, 1707
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Basel
Died: September 18, 1783
Leonhard Euler was a Swiss physicist, mathematician, logician, geographer, astronomer, and engineer. He is credited with making influential and important mathematical discoveries, such as graph theory and infinitesimal calculus. Widely regarded as one of the greatest and most prolific mathematicians of all time, Leonhard Euler also made pioneering contributions to analytic number theory and topology.
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Christine Ha(First blind contestant of MasterChef and the winner of its third season in 2012)
Birthdate: May 9, 1979
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Los Angeles County, California, United States
Recommended Lists:Birthdate: November 13, 1856
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Louisville, Kentucky, United States
Died: October 5, 1941
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Suzanne Lenglen(French Tennis Player)
Birthdate: May 24, 1899
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Paris, France
Died: July 4, 1938
Height: 5'6" (168 cm)
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Joseph Plateau(Belgian Physicist & Mathematician - One of the First People to Demonstrate the Illusion of a Moving Image)
Birthdate: October 14, 1801
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Brussels
Died: September 15, 1883
Belgian physicist and mathematician Joseph Plateau was a pioneer of the modern animation and movie industry, as he invented the phenakistiscope, the world’s first device to create an illusion of motion through images. He also laid down the structure of soap films through Plateau's laws.
Recommended Lists:Birthdate: July 20, 1873
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Santos Dumont
Died: July 23, 1932
Brazilian aviator Alberto Santos Dumont was born to an affluent coffee plantation owner and studied engineering in France. He was the man behind the first public flight in a winged aircraft in Europe. Later, the use of planes in warfare made him so depressed that he committed suicide.
Birthdate: August 29, 1876
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Loudonville, Ohio
Died: November 25, 1958
Charles F. Kettering was an American engineer, inventor, and businessman. Kettering is credited with founding Delco Electronics Corporation. Holder of 186 patents, Kettering is also credited with the invention of Freon refrigerant for air conditioning and refrigeration systems. Over the course of his career, Charles F. Kettering won prestigious awards like the IEEE Edison Medal, Hoover Medal, and Franklin Medal.
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Gerald McClellan(American Former Professional Boxer & Two-Time Middleweight World Champion)
Birthdate: October 23, 1967
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Freeport, Illinois, United States
Height: 6'0" (183 cm)
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Fanny Crosby(Poet)
Birthdate: March 24, 1820
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Brewster, New York, United States
Died: February 12, 1915
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Sam Langford(One of the Greatest Boxes of All Time)
Birthdate: March 4, 1883
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Weymouth Falls, Canada
Died: January 12, 1956
Height: 5'7" (170 cm)
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Mikhail Botvinnik(Russian Chess Player Known for Contribution to the Design of the World Chess Championship System)
Birthdate: August 17, 1911
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Repino, Saint Petersburg, Russia
Died: May 5, 1995
Soviet chess player Mikhail Botvinnik was a three-time World Champion. At 14, he defeated the reigning world champion José Raúl Capablanca in an exhibition match. He was also a skilled computer engineer. He adopted a scientific approach to chess and penned several books on chess, too.
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Blind Lemon Jefferson(Blues & Gospel Singer-Songwriter)
Birthdate: September 24, 1893
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Coutchman, Texas, United States
Died: December 19, 1929
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Gordon Brown(Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 2007 to 2010)
Birthdate: February 20, 1951
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Govan
Gordon Brown served as the British prime minister from 2007 to 2010. Blinded in on eye, he had previously been a lecturer and a journalist. He has been the Chancellor of the Exchequer, has held various Shadow Cabinet posts, and been the UN’s special envoy on global education.
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Ahmed Yassin(Palestinian Politician and Imam Who Founded Hamas)
Birthdate: January 1, 1937
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Al-Jura, Mandatory Palestine
Died: March 22, 2004
Ahmed Yassin was a Palestinian politician who founded Hamas, a militant Islamist organization. He was also an imam and served as Hamas' spiritual leader after its founding in 1987. Ahmed Yassin was assassinated on 22 March 2004 by the Israel Defense Forces.
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Surdas(Former Indian Devotional Poet and Singer Known for His Works Written in Praise of Krishna, the Supreme Lord)
Birthdate: 1478 AD
Birthplace: Faridabad, Haryana, India
Died: 1584 AD
Surdas was an Indian poet and singer best remembered for his devotion to Lord Krishna. He is credited with writing the popular book, Sur Sagar. He was blind by birth and was neglected by his family. Surdas was inspired by the teachings of Vallabha Acharya, who he met while going on a pilgrimage to Vrindavan.
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Princess Sophia of the United Kingdom(Princess)
Birthdate: November 3, 1777
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Buckingham House, London, England
Died: May 27, 1848
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Joaquín Rodrigo(Spanish Composer and a Virtuoso Pianist Best Known for Composition 'Concierto de Aranjuez')
Birthdate: November 22, 1901
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Sagunto, Spain
Died: July 6, 1999
Joaquín Rodrigo was a Spanish composer and a virtuoso pianist best known for composing the Concierto de Aranjuez. He lost his sight as a child and was encouraged by his parents to study music. He excelled in his musical education and began composing in braille as a young man. In 1983, he was awarded the Premio Nacional de Música.
Birthdate: June 6, 1947
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Sheffield, England
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Laura Bridgman(Educator)
Birthdate: December 21, 1829
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Hanover, New Hampshire,United States
Died: May 24, 1889
Birthdate: September 16, 1880
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Wolverhampton
Died: June 28, 1958
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Bilal Göregen(YouTube Musician)
Birthdate: September 4, 1988
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Dörtyol, Turkey
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Lennie Tristano(Jazz Pianist)
Birthdate: March 19, 1919
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Chicago, Illinois, United States
Died: November 18, 1978
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Ravindra Jain(Musician, Composer)
Birthdate: February 28, 1944
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Aligarh
Died: October 9, 2015
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Andrea Cionna(Italian Marathon runner)
Birthdate: January 5, 1968
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Osimo, Italy
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Benito Pérez Galdós(Spanish Realist Novelist and a Leading Literary Figure in 19th-Century Spain)
Birthdate: May 10, 1843
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Municipality of Las Palmas, Spain
Died: January 4, 1920
One of the greatest Spanish novelists ever, Benito Pérez Galdós had initially aspired to become a lawyer but later switched to journalism. His novel The Fountain of Gold was the first in a series of 46 novels known as National Episodes. He also penned plays such as Realidad.
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Thurlow Weed(Politician)
Birthdate: November 15, 1797
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Greene County, New York, United States
Died: November 22, 1882
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Vasily II of Moscow(Prince of Moscow)
Birthdate: March 10, 1415
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Moscow, Grand Duchy of Moscow
Died: March 27, 1462
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Timothy McIsaac(Retired Canadian Paralympic Swimmer and Paralympic Gold Medalist)
Birthdate: January 10, 1959
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Winnipeg, Canada
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Antoine-Augustin Cournot(Philosopher and Mathematician Known for His Contribution to the Development of Economics)
Birthdate: August 28, 1801
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Gray, France
Died: March 31, 1877
Regarded as the first economist who had applied math to solve economic problems, Antoine-Augustin Cournot had penned the iconic work Researches into the Mathematical Principles of the Theory of Wealth. He was also the first to chart a supply and demand curve on a graph and introduced Cournot competition.
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Lev Pontryagin(Mathematician)
Birthdate: September 3, 1908
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Moscow, Russia
Died: May 3, 1988
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Maria Theresia von Paradis(Musician)
Birthdate: May 15, 1759
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Vienna, Austria
Died: February 1, 1824
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Magnus IV of Norway(King)
Birthdate: 1115 AD
Birthplace: Norway
Died: November 12, 1139
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Carleton Watkins(Photographer)
Birthdate: November 11, 1829
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Oneonta, New York, United States
Died: June 23, 1916
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Gilbert of Sempringham(Saint)
Birthdate: 1083 AD
Birthplace: Sempringham, England
Died: February 4, 1189
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Christoph Graupner(Harpsichordist)
Birthdate: January 13, 1683
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Kirchberg, Germany
Died: May 10, 1760
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Mike May(American Alpine Skier)
Birthdate: 1953 AD
Birthplace: United Sates
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Antonio de Cabezón(Composer)
Birthdate: March 30, 1510
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Castrillo Mota de Judíos, Spain
Died: March 26, 1566
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John Fielding(Magistrate)
Birthdate: September 16, 1721
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Abergavenny, Wales
Died: September 4, 1780
In spite of being blinded in an accident at age 19, John Fielding managed to become a magistrate. The half-brother of author Henry Fielding, he was nicknamed Blind Beak and was able to recognize criminals by their voices. He established the Bow Street Runners and revolutionized the juvenile justice system.
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John Witherspoon(Scottish-American Presbyterian Minister, Educator and a Founding Father of the United States)
Birthdate: February 5, 1723
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Gifford, Scotland
Died: November 15, 1794
John Witherspoon was a Scottish American slaveholder, Presbyterian minister, and Founding Father of the United States. A signatory to the Declaration of Independence, Witherspoon also signed the Articles of Confederation. He also played a crucial role in shaping public policy in the United States of America.
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Justinus Kerner(German Poet and Physician)
Birthdate: September 18, 1786
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Ludwigsburg, Germany
Died: February 21, 1862
Justinus Kerner was a German physician, medical writer, and poet. He is credited to have given the first detailed description of botulism. He studied medicine at the University of Tübingen. He wrote several medical books, including the first treatise on sebacic acid and botulism. As a poet, he is remembered for his sensitive, dreamlike, and melancholy poetry.
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Charles Joseph Kickham(Revolutionary)
Birthdate: May 9, 1828
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Mullinahone, Ireland
Died: August 22, 1882
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Ed Walker
Birthdate: April 23, 1932
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Forrest
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Benny Waters(Musician)
Birthdate: January 23, 1902
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Brighton, Maryland, United States
Died: August 11, 1998
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Jessica Gallagher(Australian Paralympic Alpine Skier)
Birthdate: March 14, 1986
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Geelong, Australia
Jessica Gallagher is an Australian Paralympic alpine skier and track and field athlete. She became the first Australian woman to win a medal at the Winter Paralympics in 2010. She began to lose her sight as a teenager and was diagnosed with Best’s disease, a rare condition that causes blindness. As she is legally blind, she competes with a guide.
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Jack Clemo(Poet)
Birthdate: March 11, 1916
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Saint Austell, England
Died: July 25, 1994
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Darpan Inani(Indian Chess Player and a Chartered Accountant)
Birthdate: February 14, 1994
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Vadodara, Gujarat, India
The most successful blind chess player of India, Darpan Inani is also a qualified chartered accountant. He is believed to have rejected an offer from IIM-Lucknow to join their MBA course, to pursue his chess career instead. He is also a talented musician and a yellow belt in karate.
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Francesca Alexander(Illustrator)
Birthdate: February 27, 1837
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Boston, Massachusetts, United States
Died: January 21, 1917
