Today marks the 90th birthday of historian, playwright, and activist Howard Zinn (1912-2010). A former bombardier in WWII, Zinn became active in the civil rights movement while teaching at Spelman. After being fired for supporting student protestors, he became a professor at Boston University, where he taught until his retirement in 1988. He is the author of many books, including his landmark work, A People’s History of the United States (Harper Perennial), and his memoir, You Can’t be Neutral on a Moving Train (Beacon Press).

Read an excerpt of You Can't Be Neutral on a Moving Train at Scribd.

Read a post from the Zinn Education Project about how Howard Zinn "did not merely record history, he made it."

Watch a tribute to Howard Zinn on Democracy Now.

Photo by Rosyln Zinn.