1000 BC: Hebrew Law: Deaf rights denied
800 BC - 146 BC: Ancient Greece
470 - 399 BC: Socrates: "The deaf express themselves in gestures..."
384 - 322 BC: Aristotle: "Deaf people can not be educated..."
+/- 5 BC: Quintus Pedius, Painter (IT)
1454 - 1513: Pinturicchio, Painter (IT)
1440 -1486: Cristoforo de Predis, Illuminator (IT)
1465? -1548: Joanot de Pau (Joan Pau Guardiola), Painter (ES)
Dark and Middle Ages: Objects of Ridicule
1500s: Geronimo Cardano: Deaf people are capable of using their minds (IT)
1520 - 1584: Pedro Ponce de León, the first teacher of the deaf (ES)
1526 – 1579: Juan Fernandez Navarrete, Painter (ES)
1579 - 1652: Manuel Ramírez de Carrión
1585-1634, Hendrick Avercamp, Painter (NL)
1606 - 1656: John Bulwer (UK)
1615 – 1678: Wolfgang Heimbach, Painter (DE)
1620: Juan Pablo Bonet, the first book on the subject of manual alphabetic signs (ES)
1625 - 1688/95: Johannes Thopas, Painter (NL)
1663 - 1705: Guillaume Amontons, Deaf Scientist (FR)
1669 – 1724: Amman, Johann Konrad (NL)
1670 – 1750: Étienne de Fay: First deaf teacher of the deaf in France (FR)
1712 - 1789: Abbé Charles Michel de l'Epée (FR)
1715 - 1780: Jacob Rodrigues Pereira (FR)
1715 – 1806: Thomas Braidwood (UK)
1723 - 1792: Joshua Reynolds, Painter (UK)
1727 - 1790: Samuel Heinicke (DE)
1740 - 1823: Claude André Deseine, Sculptor (FR)
1742 - 1822: Abbé Sicard, Teacher of the Deaf (FR)
1742–1810: Richard Crosse, Painter (UK)
1746 - 1828: Francisco Goya, Painter (ES)
1747 - 1799 : Pierre Desloges (FR)
1750 – 1829: Charles Shirreff, Painter (UK)
1753 - 1829: Ottavio Assarotti (IT)
1755: First School for the Deaf in France, Abbé Charles Michel de l'Epée
1760: First School for the Deaf in the UK, Edinburgh
1764 – 1786: John Goodricke, Astronomer (UK)
1772 - 1836: Roberto Francisco Prádez, first Deaf teacher of the Deaf in Spain
1772 - 1846: Jean Massieu, First Deaf Teacher of the Deaf in France
1775 - 1848: Jakub Falkowski (PL)
1776 - 1839: Pär Aron Borg (SE)
1778: First School for the Deaf in Germany, Leipzig (DE)
1779: First School for the Deaf in Austria, Vienna
1779 - 1823: Peter Atke Castberg (DK)
1785 - 1869: Laurent Clerc, Deaf Teacher of the Deaf
1786: First School for the Deaf in the Czech Republic, Prague
1788 – 1839: Eelke Jelles Eelkema, Painter (NL)
1790: First School for the Deaf in the Netherlands, Groningen
1792: First Public School for the Deaf in the UK, London
1795 - 1837: Walter Geikie, Painter (Scotland)
1796 - 1874: Andreas Christian Møller, Deaf Founder of the first school for the deaf in Norway
1766 - 1854: John Brewster Jr. (USA)
1767 - 1828: Jean-Baptiste Pouplin (BE)
1776 - 1839: Pär Aron Borg (SE)
1787 - 1851: Thomas Hopkins Gallaudet (USA)
1794 – 1880: Karl von Hampeln (AT)
1798-1879: Matthew Robert Burns, first Deaf headmaster (UK)
1799 - 1871: Mathias Stoltenberg (NO)
1800 - 1883: Tommaso Pendola (IT)
1803 - 1886:Ferdinand Berthier (FR)
1805: First School for the Deaf in Spain, Madrid (ES)
1806: First School for the Deaf in Russia, Pavlovsk, St. Petersburg
1807: First School for the Deaf in Denmark, Copenhagen
1809: First School for the Deaf in Sweden, Stockholm
1810 - 1891: Claudius Forrestier, Deaf Teacher (FR)
1814 - 1863: Pierre Pélissier (FR)
1814 - 1865: Václav Frost (CZ)
1816 - 1903: Jeanette (Johanna) Apollonia Berglind (SE)
1817: First School for the Deaf in Poland
1817: First school for the Deaf in the USA, Hartford
1819: First School for the Deaf in Belgium - Walloon
1820: First school for the deaf in Belgium - Flanders
1822 - 1882: Ernest Huet (FR, BR)
1815–1894: Léopold Loustau (FR)
1823 - 1875: Bruno Braquehais, Photographer (FR)
1825: First school for the Deaf in Norway, Trondheim
1826 - 1863: Carl Oscar Malm (FI)
1829 - 1907: Paul Ritter, Painter (DE)
1832 - 1899: Ernst Sokolovski (Estonia)
1834 – 1910: Fritz Hirn, Deaf Teacher of the Deaf (FI)
1834: The First Silent Banquet in Paris (Banquet Silencieux, FR)
1844 -1914: Félix Martin, Sculptor (FR)
1847 - 1922: Alexander Graham Bell (USA)
1850: Donaldson's School for the Deaf, Scotland
1856 - 1937: Paul-François Choppin, Sculptor (FR)
1856: Publication of Iconography des Signes, by Pélissier
1857 - 1935: Konstantin E. Tsiolkovsky, Rocket Scientist (RU)
1858: First School for the Deaf in Finland, Porvoo
1860 - 1911: Heinrich Fick (DE)
1861 - 1918: Francis Maginn (UK)
1861 - 1937: George W. Veditz, First Person to Film Sign Language (ASL)
1862 - 1943: Conrad Svendsen (NO)
1866: First School for the Deaf in Vändra, Estonia
1867: First School for the Deaf in Iceland, Páll Pálsson
1869 - 1943: Fernand Hamar, Sculptor (FR)
1870's: Deaf Victorians in the UK
1870-1950: Peder Christian Pedersen, Painter (DK)
1877 - 1906: Slava Raškaj, Painter (Croatia)
1880: the Milan Conference
1885 - 1938: Lajos Tihanyi (HU)
1885: First School for the Deaf in Croatia, Zagreb
1890: British Deaf Association (BDA)
1893 - 1975: Gustinus Ambrosi, Sculptor (AT)
1893: Fédération Nationale des Sourds de France (FNSF) National Federation of France for the Deaf
1894 -1960: Kazimierz Wiszniewski (PL), Graphic Designer
1898: First School for the Deaf in Bulgaria, Sofia
1898: Invention of the electrical hearing aid
1856 - 1937: Paul-François Choppin, Sculptor (FR)
1857 - 1935: Konstantin E. Tsiolkovsky, Rocket Scientist (RU)
1861 - 1937: George W. Veditz, First Person to Film Sign Language (ASL)
1862 - 1943: Conrad Svendsen (NO)
1867 - 1959: Johannes Graadt van Roggen (NL)
1869 - 1943: Fernand Hamar, Sculptor (FR)
1870-1950: Peder Christian Pedersen, Painter (DK)
1872 - 1947: Jan Zoetelief Tromp (NL)
1879 - 1963: Valentín de Zubiaurre Aguirrezábal, Painter (ES)
1881 - 1930: Maurycy Minkowski, Painter (PL)
1884 - 1963: Eugène Rubens-Alke (FR)
1888 - 1964: Melbourne Spurr (USA)
1898 - 1972: Olaf Hassel, Astronomer (NO)
1900 - 1966: Richard Liebermann, Painter (DE)
1900 - 1972: Emerson Romero
1900: Ultraviolet Therapy
1905: Kuurojen Liittoo ry, Finnish Association of the Deaf
1907: The Nordic Council of the Deaf
1911: Founding of the RNID (UK)
1913: Österreichische Gehörlosenbund (ÖGLB) (AT)
1914 - 1918: Deaf People during World War I (UK)
1915: Opening of the Finnish Museum of the Deaf
1916 - 1975: Ivan Štrekelj (Sculptor, Slovenia)
1918 - 2007: A.F. Dimmock (UK)
1918: Norges Døveforbund (NDF) Norwegian Association of the Deaf
1919: Asociatia Nationala a Surzilor din România (ANSR) Romanian National Association for the Deaf
1922: Eesti Kurtide Liit Estonian Association of the Deaf
1922: Sveriges Dövas Riksförbund (SDR), Swedish National Association of the Deaf
1924 - 2003: Alexander Lobanov (RU)
1924: First World Games for the Deaf
1926 - 2009: Mario D'Agata (IT)
1927 - 1989: Malcolm J. Norwood – The Father of Closed Captioning
1927: Deutscher Gehoerlosen-Bund e.V. (DGB) German Association of the Deaf
1928 - ..: Peter Dimmel, Sculptor (AT)
1930 - 1945: The Deaf in the Nazi Era (film)
1931 - 1993: Dorothy "Dot" Miles, Poet and Activist (UK)
1934: СЪЮЗ НА ГЛУХИТЕ В БЪЛГАРИЯ (SGB) Union of the Deaf in Bulgaria
1935: Danske Døves Landsforbund (DDL) Danish Deaf Association
1936: Doof Vlaanderen (BE)
1940 - 1945: Deaf People in World War II (UK)
1940 - 2003: Albert "Fisé" Fischer, Painter (DE)
1946: Schweizerischer Gehöerlosenbund / Fedération Suisse des Sourds / Federazione Svizzera dei Sordi (SGB-FSS) Swiss Federation of the Deaf
1948: Polski Związek Głuchych (PZG) Board of the Polish Association of the Deaf
1949: Foundation of the Deutsches Gehörlosen-Theater e.V., Germany
1951: World Federation of the Deaf established in Rome
1953: First School for the Deaf in Cyprus, Nicosia
1958: International Week of the Deaf launched by the World Federation of the Deaf
1960 - ..: Alexander Matianov, Painter (RU)
1960: Felag heyrnarlausra Icelandic Association of the Deaf
1960: William Stokoe, "Sign Language Structure"
1963: First School for the Deaf in Albania
1964 - ...: Videotelephony for deaf people
1964: Invention of the Text Telephone (TTY)
1967 - ..: Invention of the Cochlear Implant by Graeme Clark
1971 - ...: Rubbena Aurangzeb-Tariq, Painter (UK)
1973: Għaqda Persuni Neqsin mis-Smigħ Maltese Deaf People's Association
1977: Fédération Francophone des Sourds de Belgique (FFSB)
1977: Foundation of the International Visual Theatre (IVT), France
1978 - 2013: Centre for Deaf Studies, Bristol (UK)
1970: Foundation of Tyst Theatre (Sweden)
1979 - ...Closed Captions and Subtitles for deaf and hard-of-hearing people
1981: Irish Deaf Society (IDS)
1981: Sweden, Legal Recognition of Swedish Sign Language
1983: Foundation of EDSO, European Deaf Sports Organisation
1985: Foundation of the European Union of the Deaf (EUD)
1986: Foundation of the European Society of Mental Health and Deafness (ESMHD)
1987: Foundation of the EUDY (European Union of the Deaf Youth)
1987: Foundation of Teatteri Totti (Finland)
1988: Deaf President Now (USA)
1989 - 1989: Jeff Labes President of the EUD
1990 - 2005: Knud Søndergaard President of EUD
1990: Svaz Neslyšících a Nedoslýchavých v Čr (UDHH) Czech Republic Union of Deaf and Hard of Hearing
1991: Asociácia Nepočujúcich Slovenska (ANEPS) ; Slovak Association of the Deaf
1992 - ...: Text messaging (SMS, Whatsapp)
1993: Federação Portuguesa das Associações de Surdos (FPAS) Portuguese Federation of Associations of the Deaf
1995: Lithuania, Legal Recognition of Lithuanian Sign Language
1995: Finland, Legal Recognition of Finnish Sign Language
1995: Slovakia, Legal Recognition of Slovak Sign Language
1997: Portugal, Legal Recognition of Portuguese Sign Language
1998: Czech Republic, Legal Recognition of Czech Sign Language
1953, 1999: Dovenschap Nieuwe Stijl Deaf Association of the Netherlands
1978 - 2013: Centre for Deaf Studies, Bristol (UK)
1990 - 2005: Knud Søndergaard President of EUD
2000: Greece, Legal Recognition of Greek Sign Language
2000: Latvia, Legal Recognition of Latvian Sign Language
2001: Foundation of Teater Manu (Norway)
2001: Foundation of Signdance Collective International (UK, NL)
2002, 2019: Slovenia, Legal Recognition of Slovenian Sign Language
2002: Foundation of Deafinitely Theatre Company (UK)
2002: Germany, Legal Recognition of German Sign Language
2002: Romania, Legal Recognition of Romanian Sign Language
2003: UK, Legal Recognition of British Sign Language
2003 - ...: Festival Clin d'Oeil (FR)
2003: Paddy Lad, "Deafhood"
2003: Walloon - Belgium, Legal Recognition of French Belgian Sign Language
2004: Iceland, Legal Recognition of Icelandic Sign Language
2004: Ομοσπονδία Κωφών Κύπρου Cyprus Deaf Federation
2005 - 2007: Helga Stevens President of EUD
2005: Austria, Legal Recognition of Austrian Sign Language
2006: Cyprus, Legal Recognition of Cypriot Sign Language
2006: Flanders - Belgium: Legal Recognition of Flemish Sign Language
2006: Adoption of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities by the UN (UN CRPD)
2007 - 2013: Berglind Stefánsdóttir President of EUD
2007: Spain, Legal Recognition of Spanish and Catalan Sign Languages
2007: Estonia, Legal Recognition of Estonian Sign Language
2009: Macedonia, Legal Recognition of Macedonian Sign Language
2009: Hungary, Legal Recognition of Hungarian Sign Language
2009: Dr. Ádám Kósa first Deaf member of the European Parliament
2009: Bosnia and Herzegovina: Legal Recognition of Sign Language
2010: Deaf International Football Association
2010: UN CRPD ratification by the EU
2010: ICED, Apologies for Milan Conference
2011: Iceland, Legal Recognition of Icelandic Sign Language
2011: Poland, Legal Recognition of Polish Sign Language
2013 - now: Dr Markku Jokinen President of EUD
2013 - ... :École de Théâtre Universelle (FR)
2013: Dr. Liisa Kauppinen receives United Nations Human Rights Award Prize
2014: Denmark, Legal Recognition of Danish Sign Language
2014: Albania, Legal Recognition of Albanian Sign Language
2014: Helga Stevens second Deaf Member of the European Parliament
2015: Croatia, Legal Recognition of Croatian Sign Language
2015: British Sign Language (Scotland) Bill passed unanimously
2015: Serbia, Legal Recognition of Serbian Sign Language
2015: European Parliament supports full implementation of UN CRPD
2016: Malta, Legal Recognition of Maltese Sign Language
2017: Ireland, Legal Recognition of Irish Sign Language
2017: 23 September marked as International Day of Sign Languages
2018: Luxembourg, Legal Recognition of Luxembourg Sign Language
2020: The Netherlands, Legal Recognition of the Sign Language of the Netherlands
2021: Bulgaria: Legal Recognition of Bulgarian Sign Language
2021: Italy, Legal Recognition Italian Sign Language
