Google doodle on Charles Michèle de l'Epée: Honoring ‘Father of the Deaf’ on his 306th birthday

Google remembers Charles Michèle de l'Epée on his 306^th birth anniversary today (November 24) by dedicating an animated doodle to the first man who was successful in creating a system to teach sign language to the deaf people. The philanthropic educator of the 18^th century France dedicated his life to developing the world's first sign alphabet for the deaf and later was globally renowned as the "Father of the Deaf."

Born to a wealthy family in Versailles in 1712, Charles Michèle de l'Epée once encountered two young deaf girls at a slum in Paris who used signs to communicate with each other. He then was interested in sign language and decided to dedicate himself to the education and enlightenment of the deaf people. He founded a school for the deal people in 1760.

He managed to run his school at his own expense. He also refused aid, mainly financial from any wealthy merchant out of fear of being charged with greedy motives. Later in 1791, after his death in December 1789, his school started receiving government funding. Later it was named Institut St. Jacques. Today, its present name is Institution Nationale des Sourds-Muets à Paris. His methods of educating the deaf people have spread around the world.

During the beginning of the French Revolution in 1789, Charles Michèle de l'Epée left his mortal body at the age of 77. His tomb at the Church of Saint Roch is one of the top visiting places in Paris. The National Assembly recognized him as a "Benefactor of Humanity" two years after his death. The school in Paris still exists today although it now uses French Sign Language in class rather than his methodical signs.