Animated Hero Classics - Season 2 (1996)

When Helen Keller was a young child, she contracted a high fever that left her sightless and unable to hear. Being the parents of a non-seeing and non-hearing child was a hardship on two loving parents who did all they could but seemed to do it in the wrong way. Out of desperation, they hired a young educator, Anne Sullivan, to teach and train the young Helen. Much to the parent's dismay, Sullivan was a strict and firm disciplinarian with the young, spoiled Keller girl. Sullivan and Helen Keller moved into a house not far down the lane from the main Keller house. ...

A youthful Leonardo da Vinci studies art under his master, Verrochio in Florence, Italy in 1473. While working as an apprentice under Andrea del Verrocchio, Leonardo learns about color, shading, sculpturing, panel painting and painting of altarpieces. Self-discipline is the key to success in Verrochio's opinion. In 1498, Leonardo is under the service of the Duke and Duchess of Milan. He is commissioned to sculpt a statue of the Duke's father and paint " The Last Supper" for the monks in their dining hall. The Duchess of Milan asks Leonardo to produce a play about ...

As a young girl, Joan lived in the French countryside. One day, she heard voices from heaven talking to her. The voices told Joan that she was called to help fight for the freedom of France. They also told her that Prince Charles was to be anointed and crowned the rightful king of France. Joan went to see Prince Charles but the Prince said to send her away. The warrior, Le Hire, reminded Charles of a prophesy that said a young maiden would save France. Prince Charles agreed to see Joan but planned to prove that she was a fake. Charles switched clothes with his tailor ...

The time is 1296 in Turkey. Marco Polo, his father and his uncle have just returned after a twenty five-year journey of the East. They tell the Duke of Venice about the riches they have found. The Duke of Venice doubts the stories of riches from China. Not long after he returned a war broke out between the cities of Genoa and Venice. Marco went to fight in a war. He met a sailor named Rusticello. Rusticello was also a writer. Marco and his new friend are captured by the Duke and Duchess of Genoa. The Duchess was impressed with Marco Polo's stories and visits him in ...

The time is 1589 in Pisa Italy. As a professor in a university classroom, Galileo questions the ideas of Aristotle. Knowing that he could be convicted of heresy, he continues to teach that the sun is the center of the universe and not the earth. He proves his theories by improving a toy called the spyglass. With his new invention of the telescope, he discovers Jupiter has moons revolving around it. This was the proof he needs to show that not everything revolves around the earth. Clavius, a friend of Galileos, convinces him to sign a document that says he will not ...

As a young girl, Marie learns things quickly and her family knows she is very bright. Her country, Poland, is ruled by Russia and everyone has to learn Russian in order to attend the university, Marie watches her sister, Bronya, struggle to learn Russian, but for Marie learning the language is easy. The time has come for Bronya to go to the university. Marie accompanies her father and sister to the University of Warsaw. It is there they learn that all universities in Poland have been closed to women. After Marie graduates at the top of her class, she attends a secret ...

Even as a young boy, Beethoven marched to the beat of a different drummer. Trained in the traditional music methods by his father, Beethoven was an accomplished pianist by the age of 12. But he yearned to try new sounds and persevered until audiences heard his music. By his early twenties, this persistent young man performed for Joseph Haydn, who compared him to the great Mozart. Sadly, Beethoven began to lose his hearing, but he threw himself even more deeply into his music, composing "Fur Elise," "Sonata Pathetique" and the dramatic "Fifth Symphony" years later, ...