Historian and political activist Howard Zinn died of a heart attack on Wednesday in Santa Monica, California. He was 87 years old. Born in Brooklyn in 1922, Zinn wrote the landmark leftist manifesto, "A People's History of the United States," which became a cultural touchstone for a generation. He was a professor emeritus in the Department of Political Science at Boston University, where he taught from 1964 to 1988. According to Caryl Rivers, a friend and journalism professor at Boston University, "He had a deep sense of fairness and justice for the underdog. But he always kept his sense of humor. He was a happy warrior."
In 2009, a televised documentary based on the book aired. Called "The People Speak," the film was narrated by Matt Damon and featured readings and performances by Bob Dylan, Eddie Vedder, Lupe Fiasco, Josh Brolin, Viggo Mortensen, Danny Glover, Pink, Morgan Freeman, Darryl "DMC" McDaniels, Bruce Springsteen and John Legend.
Zinn's "People's History" provided an inspiration for the 1997 Oscar-winning film, "Good Will Hunting," as Zinn was a friend of both of the film's stars, Matt Damon and Ben Affleck.
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June 12, 2026 17:14 ET Major central bank action was the focus this week in economic news. The European Central Bank became the first major central bank to move in response to the rising inflationary pressures in the backdrop of the conflict in the Middle East. In North America, the U.S. inflation and trade data as well as Canada’s central bank decision gained attention. The Chinese trade data was the main news in Asia.