Final answer:
When Ayn Rand wrote "Atlas Shrugged" in 1957, the Civil Rights Movement was the significant event unfolding during that period, characterized by a societal fight against racial discrimination in the United States.
Step-by-step explanation:
When Ayn Rand wrote "Atlas Shrugged" in 1957, several significant historical events were unfolding. Among the provided options, the Civil Rights Movement was the event that was contemporaneous with the writing and publication of "Atlas Shrugged." This was a period where Americans were increasingly confronting racial and ethnic discrimination and civil rights violations, leading to direct action and court battles.
While the Cuban Revolution, the Suez Crisis, and the Space Race were also important events of the late 1950s, it was indeed the Civil Rights Movement that was most prominent in the United States at that time, as individuals like Martin Luther King Jr. began to rise as significant figures in the movement for equality.