AN extraordinary thing happened on April 5, 1887, in Tuscumbia, Alabama. That day, a child who was completely blind and deaf could suddenly read and spell out words, recognize names of objects, and capture the building blocks of language. There were no miracles, no angels, just the flowing water that poured onto her hands.

The child was Helen Keller. Today not everyone may recognize her name, but in her time, she was known throughout the world.