The Life and Legacy of Ayn Rand If you could live in a peaceful environment where everyone was supposed to be the same and there was no confrontation or having anyone be better or more successful than you would you choose to live here? No matter what you or anyone else says Ayn Rand’s answer would be a definite no. Ayn Rand is a famous author from Russia. She is a huge activist for individualism, the belief in the importance of being your own individual person and being self-reliant. Ayn absolutely hates collectivism, the idea that everyone should basically be the same and the government should control everything. (thefreedictionary.com). To begin with, Ayn Rand was born on February 2, 1905 in St.Petersburg, Russia as Alyssa Rosenbaum (womenshistory.about.com). She was born into a modest family and her father owned a pharmacy to support them financially. Ayn was a gifted student, for instance she taught herself how to read at the early age of just six years old. As Ayn grew up, while in high school, she saw two major revolutions take place. One of those revolutions was the Kerensky Revolution and the Bolshevik Revolution of 1917. She fully supported Kerensky but despised the Bolshevik Revolution because it was based on collective and communist ideals. Once fighting began Ayn and her family moved to Crimea, a small country near the Black Sea, to escape. While living there she finished high school. However once communism took over her father’s pharmacy was taken away and many people including herself were suffering and were trying not to starve. Moving on, Ayn Rand looked to the United States as a model country. During her last years of high school Ayn learned about America during history class and wished that she could live here. Once she was back in Russia, however now the USSR or Soviet Union, she enrolled into the University of Petrograd where she wanted to study philosophy and history. Sadly though, while going to school she witnessed her college of intelligent people being overrun by communists and thugs who didn’t like people gaining success and knowledge. After she graduated in 1924 she started taking classes at the State Institute for Cinema Arts because she had always enjoyed movies and cinema for years. (facetsofaynrand.com) Furthermore, in late 1925 Ayn Rand set off to the United States. Ayn had gotten permission to leave for a little while to visit relatives. However, she was allowed to have an extension and was able to stay longer. She then moved to Los