Ayn Rand was born in 1905 in St. Petersberg| Russia. She escaped to America in 1926 amidst the rise of Soviet Communism. She remained in the United States for the
rest of her life| where she became a much respected author of The Fountainhead and Atlas Shrugged. The themes of freedom and individualism were to be her life's
passion| and would win her a devoted following among readers. Her books continue to sell over 300|000 copies each year. Upon her arrival in America| Ayn Rand applied
for a screenwriting position at the DeMille Studios in Hollywood. On that same day| a chance meeting with DeMille brought her to the set of The King of Kings where
she was hired as an extra for the film. But| it wasn't until her 1936 Broadway success| Night of January 16th| that she first achieved fame as a writer. The play| a
courtroom drama that was tried before a jury drawn from the audience each night| had two endings for each verdict. Although a success| it was Ayn's first struggle to
keep the ...