Origins & Early Life

Howard Zinn (August 24, 1922 – January 27, 2010) was an American historian. He was chair of the history and social sciences department at Spelman College, and a political science professor at Boston University. Zinn wrote more than 20 books, including his best-selling and influential A People's History of the United States in 1980. In 2007, he published a version of it for younger readers, A Young People's History of the United States.

Pivotal Works & Achievements

Zinn described himself as "something of an anarchist, something of a socialist. Maybe a democratic socialist." He wrote extensively about the civil rights movement, the anti-war movement and labor history of the United States. His memoir, You Can't Be Neutral on a Moving Train (Beacon Press, 1994), was also the title of a 2004 documentary about Zinn's life and work. Zinn died of a heart attack in 2010, at the age of 87. Zinn was born to a Jewish immigrant family in Brooklyn, New York City, on August 24, 1922.

Enduring Legacy & Impact

His father, Eddie Zinn, born in Austria-Hungary, immigrated to the US with his brother Samuel before the outbreak of World War I. His mother, Jenny (Rabinowitz) Zinn, emigrated from the Eastern Siberian city of Irkutsk. His parents...

Contemporary Figures & Related Historical Timelines

• Aage Bohr — Contemporary (Born in 1922) (1922): Pioneering Danish nuclear physicist, Nobel laureate for atomic structure theory.
• Agostinho Neto — Contemporary (Born in 1922) (1922): Angolan communist revolutionary, poet, and first President of Angola.
• Alain Resnais — Contemporary (Born in 1922) (1922): Pioneering French filmmaker exploring memory, consciousness, and narrative structure.
• Ali Hassan al-Majid — Contemporary (Died in 2010) (2010): Notorious Iraqi military figure, cousin of Saddam Hussein, known for brutal repression.
• Antony Flew — Contemporary (Died in 2010) (2010): English analytic and evidentialist philosopher known for his critique of religion.
• Benoit Mandelbrot — Contemporary (Died in 2010) (2010): Pioneering mathematician known for fractal geometry and the 'theory of roughness'.
• Boyinaband — Shared historical date (08-24 · Born) (1987): English musician, rapper, and songwriter known for electronic and hip hop work.
• Cal Ripken Jr. — Shared historical date (08-24 · Born) (1960): MLB legend, 'the Iron Man', known for his unparalleled consistency and record-setting career.
• Abbas the Great — Shared historical date (01-27 · Born) (1571): Fifth Safavid Shah of Iran, considered one of the greatest rulers in Iranian history.
• Balthasar Neumann — Shared historical date (01-27 · Born) (1687): Master architect of the High Baroque period in Central Europe.
• 1922 Historical Timeline & Archive — Explore world events and figures from 1922
• August 24 (08-24) On This Day — Historical birthdays and events on August 24
• 2010 Historical Timeline & Archive — Explore world events and figures from 2010
• January 27 (01-27) On This Day — Historical events and memorials on January 27