Ferdinand Berthier was a popular deaf educator, and intellectual and political organiser in nineteenth-century France. He passed away on 12 July 1886 at the age of 82. Berthier was regarded as one of the earliest champions of deaf identity and culture.
On September 30, 2023, Google celebrated its 220th birthday with a Google Doodle. In this post, we will take a look at what age Ferdinand Berthier would have been today. Let us find out more.
Ferdinand Berthier Biography
Berthier was born on 30 September 1803 in Louhans, Saône-et-Loire. He attended the famous school for the Deaf in Paris as a young student in 1811. After school, young Ferdinand came from the rural southeast of France to learn basic vocational skills and literacy to prepare him for work as a tradesman. Berthier was influenced by his teacher Roch-Ambroise Auguste Bébian. By the age of 27 Berthier had become one of the more senior professors at the school.
Ferdinand petitioned the French government for permission to create the Société Centrale des Sourds-muets in 1837. This was officially founded the following year as the first organisation to represent the interests of the deaf community. Berthier played a delicate balancing act as a passionate defender of the deaf identity and sign language, while under a repressive social and political climate.
In his personal life, there is currently no information on Ferdinand Berthier’s marital life. It is not known if he also had any children. Perhaps he kept it away from the public or he never married at all.
Berthier wrote books about deaf history and deaf culture, noting deaf artists and sign-language poets of his time. He died on 12 July 1886 in Paris, aged 82.
Google Doodle Celebrates Ferdinand Berthier
On September 30, 2023, Google celebrated its 220th birthday with a Google Doodle. Ferdinand Berthier was a deaf educator, and intellectual and political organiser in nineteenth-century France. He passed away on 12 July 1886 at the age of 82. Berthier was regarded as one of the earliest champions of deaf identity and culture.
Berthier’s advocacy wasn’t limited to classrooms. He firmly believed that deaf individuals deserved equal rights and opportunities. His efforts paved the way for more inclusivity, with deaf people gaining better access to education, jobs, and societal roles.
In 1834, he took a unique initiative by organizing the first silent banquet for Deaf Frenchmen, celebrating Deaf culture and promoting sign language.
At what age did Ferdinand Berthier die?
Ferdinand Berthier passed away on 12 July 1886 at the age of 82. Berthier was regarded as one of the earliest champions of deaf identity and culture.
How Old Would Ferdinand Berthier Be Today?
Ferdinand Berthier was born on September 30, 1803. Today, he would have been his 220th birthday.
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