Ayn Rand was born February 2, 1905, in St. Petersburg, Russia. Her books, especially The Fountainhead and Atlas Shrugged, have had a tremendous impact on American culture, as David Boaz notes.
Although she disavowed the label "libertarian," Rand's political thought has had great influence in the contemporary libertarian movement. Her writings continue to attract millions of readers to the ideas of moral individualism and libertarian political theory.
The Cato Institute recently recognized Rand as one of three remarkable women who launched the libertarian movement.
In 1997 Cato and the Objectivist Center sponsored a conference on the 40th anniversary of Atlas Shrugged. Nathaniel Branden, David Kelley, and other speakers discussed Rand’s work and impact. Branden’s essay “The Foundations of a Free Society” also reflects the impact of Rand’s ideas. A March 2000 Cato Book Forum [RealAudio] looked at two new books on Rand’s ideas.