Anthem

The seminal events in Ayn Rand's life occurred when she witnessed firsthand the Bolshevik Revolution and the ultimate Communist victory as a teenager.

Rand's experience with the maelstrom of this revolutionary zeal and cultural breakdown greatly contributed toward the formation of Rand's philosophy of objectivism, individualism and anti-religious ideas.

During her last year of high school, she was introduced to the history of the United States and immediately decided to make America her model of what an ideal society should look like.

Rand came to the United States as a young woman for a visit in 1925, and, as fate would have it, she never returned to Russia.

When Rand first embarked on writing The Fountainhead, her first major literary success, she intended to deliver a book that incorporated her philosophies on 20th century society while telling a story that was less politically inclined than her initial novel, We the Living, which was set in post-revolutionary Russia and promoted her tough, unwavering stand against communism.Rand began her most famous novel, Atlas Shrugged, in 1946.

The novel consumed her, and in 1951, she moved back to New York City to devote herself to its completion.

Atlas Shrugged was published in 1957 and is still considered her greatest work, as it touches upon a variety of social and philosophical topics such as metaphysics and epistemology while addressing the more "e;pop culture"e; areas of sex and politics.

Over the last few years, Rand has become a household name and her works have seen their sales spike.

Rand and her work are now some of the most influential and relevant works in America today.