Time Person of the Year facts for kids

The Person of the Year award is given out every year by the American news magazine Time. It celebrates a person, group, idea, or even an object that has had the biggest impact on the year's events, whether good or bad. The editors at Time choose the winner in a special, secret process. Sometimes, Time also runs an online poll where readers can vote, but this poll does not affect the final choice.

What is the Person of the Year?

The idea for "Man of the Year" started in 1927. The editors at Time magazine were looking for a big news story to feature at the end of the year. They had missed putting Charles Lindbergh, a famous aviator, on their cover after his amazing flight across the Atlantic Ocean. So, they decided to feature him as the "Man of the Year" to make up for it. This tradition has continued ever since! Before online polls, readers would send in their votes by mail.

Who Gets Chosen?

The "Person of the Year" can be an individual, a group, or even something non-human.

Important Leaders

Many U.S. Presidents have been named "Man" or "Person of the Year." In fact, almost every president has received the title at least once while in office or when they were elected. Franklin D. Roosevelt is the only person to have been chosen three times!

Leaders from other countries have also been recognized. Here are some examples:

Women Honored

Before 1999, the award was usually called "Man of the Year." However, some women were still recognized. For example, Wallis Simpson (1936), Queen Elizabeth II (1952), and Corazon Aquino (1986) were named "Woman of the Year." In 1937, Soong Mei-ling was honored alongside her husband as "Man and Wife of the Year." In 1975, "American Women" were recognized as a group.

In 1999, the name officially changed to the gender-neutral "Person of the Year." Since then, many women have been chosen, including Angela Merkel (2015), Greta Thunberg (2019), Kamala Harris (jointly with Joe Biden) in 2020, and Taylor Swift (2023). In 2020, to celebrate International Women's Day, Time even released 89 new covers featuring women who could have been "Person of the Year" in past decades.

Groups and Non-Humans

Sometimes, the award goes to more than one person, or even to things that aren't people at all!

• Pairs or Groups of People:
  • Chiang Kai-shek and Soong Mei-ling, China's president and first lady (1937)
  • The Apollo 8 astronauts (1968)
  • Nelson Mandela and F. W. de Klerk, who worked for peace in South Africa (1993)
  • Bill Gates, Melinda Gates, and Bono, for their charity work (2005)
• Groups of Unnamed People:
  • "The American fighting-man" (1950 and 2003)
  • "The Hungarian freedom fighter" (1956)
  • "You" (2006), representing individual content creators on the internet
  • "The Protester" (2011)
  • "Ebola Fighters" (2014)
• Non-Human Choices:
  • The Computer (1982)
  • The Endangered Earth (1988)
• Abstract Concepts:
  • The Spirit of Ukraine (2022)

Special Editions

Time magazine has also given out special "of the Century" or "of the Decade" awards. For example, Albert Einstein was named "Person of the Century" in 1999.

Persons of the Year List

Year	Image	Choice	Lifetime	Notes
1927		Lindbergh, CharlesCharles Lindbergh	1902–1974	Lindbergh made the first solo transatlantic flight in May 1927.
1928		Chrysler, WalterWalter Chrysler	1875–1940	Chrysler oversaw a merger of his company, Chrysler, and started work on the Chrysler Building.
1929		Young, Owen D.Owen D. Young	1874–1962	Young led a committee that created the 1929 Young Plan for German war payments.
1930		Gandhi, MahatmaMahatma Gandhi	1869–1948	Gandhi led India's independence movement and the Salt March in 1930.
1931		Laval, PierrePierre Laval	1883–1945	Laval became Prime Minister of France in 1931.
1932		Roosevelt, Franklin D.Franklin D. Roosevelt	1882–1945	Roosevelt won the 1932 U.S. presidential election by a large margin.
1933		Johnson, Hugh S.Hugh S. Johnson	1882–1942	Johnson directed the National Recovery Administration to help the economy.
1934		Roosevelt, Franklin D.Franklin D. Roosevelt (2)	1882–1945	Roosevelt's New Deal reforms began showing positive results.
1935		Selassie, HaileHaile Selassie	1892–1975	Selassie was Emperor of Ethiopia when Italy invaded in 1935.
1936		Simpson, WallisWallis Simpson	1896–1986	Her relationship with King Edward VIII led to his abdication.
1937		Kai-shek, ChiangChiang Kai-shek	1887–1975	Chiang was Premier of the Republic of China when the Second Sino-Japanese War began.
		Mei-ling, SoongSoong Mei-ling	1898–2003	Soong, Chiang Kai-shek's wife, helped gain support for China in the U.S.
1938		Hitler, AdolfAdolf Hitler	1889–1945	As Chancellor of Germany, Hitler united Germany with Austria and Sudetenland.
1939		Stalin, JosephJoseph Stalin	1878–1953	Stalin, Soviet leader, signed a non-aggression pact with Nazi Germany.
1940		Churchill, WinstonWinston Churchill	1874–1965	Churchill was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom during the Battle of Britain.
1941		Roosevelt, Franklin D.Franklin D. Roosevelt (3)	1882–1945	Roosevelt was U.S. President during the attack on Pearl Harbor and U.S. entry into World War II.
1942		Stalin, JosephJoseph Stalin (2)	1878–1953	Stalin, Soviet leader, oversaw the Battle of Stalingrad.
1943		Marshall, George C.George C. Marshall	1880–1959	As U.S. Army Chief of Staff, Marshall helped organize U.S. actions in World War II.
1944		Eisenhower, Dwight D.Dwight D. Eisenhower	1890–1969	General Eisenhower was Supreme Allied Commander in Europe during Operation Overlord.
1945		Truman, Harry S.Harry S. Truman	1884–1972	Truman became U.S. President after Roosevelt's death and authorized the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
1946		Byrnes, James F.James F. Byrnes	1882–1972	Byrnes, U.S. Secretary of State, took a strong stance against Stalin.
1947		Marshall, George C.George C. Marshall (2)	1880–1959	Marshall, U.S. Secretary of State, created the Marshall Plan to rebuild Europe.
1948		Truman, Harry S.Harry S. Truman (2)	1884–1972	Truman was elected U.S. President in a big upset.
1949		Churchill, WinstonWinston Churchill (2)	1874–1965	Churchill was named "Man of the half-century" for leading Britain in WWII.
1950		The American fighting-man		Representing U.S. troops in the Korean War.
1951		Mossadegh, MohammadMohammad Mossadegh	1882–1967	Mossadegh, Prime Minister of Iran, expelled Western oil companies.
1952		Elizabeth II	1926–2022	Elizabeth became Queen of the United Kingdom in 1952.
1953		Adenauer, KonradKonrad Adenauer	1876–1967	Adenauer was re-elected Chancellor of West Germany, overseeing its rebuilding.
1954		Dulles, John FosterJohn Foster Dulles	1888–1959	Dulles, U.S. Secretary of State, created the Southeast Asia Treaty Organization.
1955		Curtice, HarlowHarlow Curtice	1893–1962	Curtice was President of General Motors, which earned $1 billion in one year.
1956		The Hungarian freedom fighter		Representing revolutionaries against Soviet rule in Hungary.
1957		Khrushchev, NikitaNikita Khrushchev	1894–1971	Khrushchev became the clear leader of the Soviet Union and launched Sputnik 1.
1958		de Gaulle, CharlesCharles de Gaulle	1890–1970	De Gaulle became Prime Minister and then President of France.
1959		Eisenhower, Dwight D.Dwight D. Eisenhower (2)	1890–1969	Eisenhower, U.S. President, arranged a visit by Nikita Khrushchev.
1960		U.S. Scientists		Recognized for their power to do good or evil through science.
1961		Kennedy, John F.John F. Kennedy	1917–1963	Kennedy became U.S. President and ordered the failed Bay of Pigs Invasion.
1962		John XXIII	1881–1963	Pope of the Roman Catholic Church, he helped mediate the Cuban Missile Crisis.
1963		King Jr., Martin LutherMartin Luther King Jr.	1929–1968	A leader of the American Civil rights movement, King gave his "I Have a Dream" speech.
1964		Johnson, Lyndon B.Lyndon B. Johnson	1908–1973	Johnson was elected U.S. President and passed the Civil Rights Act.
1965		Westmoreland, WilliamWilliam Westmoreland	1914–2005	General Westmoreland was commander of U.S. forces in South Vietnam.
1966		The Inheritor		Representing the Baby Boom generation, aged 25 and under.
1967		Johnson, Lyndon B.Lyndon B. Johnson (2)	1908–1973	Johnson, U.S. President, faced challenges like race riots and the Vietnam War.
1968		The Apollo 8 astronauts	Frank Borman: 1928–2023 Jim Lovell: Born 1928 William Anders: 1933–2024	The crew of Apollo 8 were the first humans to orbit the Moon.
1969		The Middle Americans		Representing conservative, small-town Americans.
1970		Brandt, WillyWilly Brandt	1913–1992	As Chancellor of West Germany, Brandt worked to improve relations with Eastern Europe.
1971		Nixon, RichardRichard Nixon	1913–1994	Nixon, U.S. President, took the U.S. dollar off the gold standard and visited China.
1972		Nixon, RichardRichard Nixon (2)	1913–1994	Nixon, U.S. President, visited China and was re-elected.
		Kissinger, HenryHenry Kissinger	1923–2023	Kissinger, Nixon's National Security Advisor, helped negotiate peace in Vietnam.
1973		Sirica, JohnJohn Sirica	1904–1992	Judge Sirica ordered President Nixon to release Watergate recordings.
1974		Faisal	1906–1975	Faisal, King of Saudi Arabia, was recognized after the 1973 oil crisis.
1975		American women		Highlighting the successes of the American feminist movement.
1976		Carter, JimmyJimmy Carter	Born 1924	Carter was elected U.S. President.
1977		Sadat, AnwarAnwar Sadat	1918–1981	Sadat, President of Egypt, traveled to Israel to discuss peace.
1978		Xiaoping, DengDeng Xiaoping	1904–1997	Deng took control of China and began economic reforms.
1979		Khomeini, RuhollahRuhollah Khomeini	1902–1989	Khomeini led the Iranian Revolution and became Supreme Leader of Iran.
1980		Reagan, RonaldRonald Reagan	1911–2004	Reagan was elected U.S. President.
1981		Wałęsa, LechLech Wałęsa	Born 1943	Leader of the Polish Solidarity trade union.
1982		The Computer		Named "Machine of the Year" to mark the start of the Information Age.
1983		Reagan, RonaldRonald Reagan (2)	1911–2004	Reagan, U.S. President, ordered the United States invasion of Grenada.
		Andropov, YuriYuri Andropov	1914–1984	Andropov, Soviet leader, tried to improve the Soviet economy.
1984		Ueberroth, PeterPeter Ueberroth	Born 1937	Ueberroth organized the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles.
1985		Xiaoping, DengDeng Xiaoping (2)	1904–1997	Deng, China's leader, continued his economic reforms.
1986		Aquino, CorazonCorazon Aquino	1933–2009	Aquino was a key figure in the People Power Revolution and became president of the Philippines.
1987		Gorbachev, MikhailMikhail Gorbachev	1931–2022	Gorbachev, Soviet leader, introduced political reforms like perestroika and glasnost.
1988		The Endangered Earth		Named "Planet of the Year" due to growing environmental concerns.
1989		Gorbachev, MikhailMikhail Gorbachev (2)	1931–2022	Gorbachev, Soviet leader, oversaw the first free Soviet elections.
1990		Bush, George H. W.George H. W. Bush	1924–2018	As U.S. President, Bush oversaw U.S. involvement in the Gulf War.
1991		Turner, TedTed Turner	Born 1938	Founder of CNN, recognized for its Gulf War coverage.
1992		Clinton, BillBill Clinton	Born 1946	Clinton was elected U.S. President.
1993		The Peacemakers		Represented by Yasser Arafat, F. W. de Klerk, Nelson Mandela, and Yitzhak Rabin for their peace efforts.
1994		John Paul II	1920–2005	Pope of the Roman Catholic Church, active in social debates.
1995		Gingrich, NewtNewt Gingrich	Born 1943	Leader of the "Republican Revolution" in U.S. politics.
1996		Ho, DavidDavid Ho	Born 1952	Scientist who pioneered HIV/AIDS research, making it a manageable disease.
1997		Grove, AndrewAndrew Grove	1936–2016	Chairman and CEO of Intel, a pioneer in the semiconductor industry.
1998		Clinton, BillBill Clinton (2)	Born 1946	As U.S. President, Clinton was impeached but later acquitted.
		Starr, KenKen Starr	1946–2022	Lawyer whose report led to Bill Clinton's impeachment.
1999		Bezos, JeffJeff Bezos	Born 1964	Founder and CEO of Amazon.com.
2000		Bush, George W.George W. Bush	Born 1946	Bush was elected U.S. President.
2001		Giuliani, RudyRudy Giuliani	Born 1944	Mayor of New York City during the September 11 attacks.
2002		The Whistleblowers		Represented by Cynthia Cooper, Coleen Rowley, and Sherron Watkins for exposing wrongdoing.
2003		The American soldier (2)		Representing U.S. forces worldwide, especially in the Iraq War.
2004		Bush, George W.George W. Bush (2)	Born 1946	Bush was re-elected U.S. President.
2005		The Good Samaritans		Represented by Bono, Bill Gates, and Melinda Gates for their charity work.
2006		You		Representing individual content creators on the internet.
2007		Putin, VladimirVladimir Putin	Born 1952	Putin was President of Russia, and his power was set to continue.
2008		Obama, BarackBarack Obama	Born 1961	Obama was elected the first African-American U.S. President.
2009		Bernanke, BenBen Bernanke	Born 1953	Chairman of the Federal Reserve during the 2007–2008 financial crisis.
2010		Zuckerberg, MarkMark Zuckerberg	Born 1984	Founder of Facebook, which reached half a billion users.
2011		The Protester		Recognizing the importance of many protests worldwide, like the Arab Spring.
2012		Obama, BarackBarack Obama (2)	Born 1961	Obama was re-elected U.S. President.
2013		Francis	Born 1936	Elected Pope of the Roman Catholic Church.
2014		Ebola fighters		Honoring healthcare workers who fought the Ebola epidemic.
2015		Merkel, AngelaAngela Merkel	Born 1954	Chancellor of Germany, recognized for her leadership during crises.
2016		Trump, DonaldDonald Trump	Born 1946	Trump was elected U.S. President.
2017		The Silence Breakers		Honoring people who spoke out against harassment.
2018		The Guardians		Journalists who faced danger for their reporting.
2019		Thunberg, GretaGreta Thunberg	Born 2003	Swedish environmental activist and founder of the School Strike for Climate campaign.
2020		Biden, JoeJoe Biden	Born 1942	Biden and Harris were elected U.S. President and Vice President.
		Harris, KamalaKamala Harris	Born 1964
2021		Musk, ElonElon Musk	Born 1971	CEO of Tesla, Inc. and SpaceX, became the richest person in the world.
2022		Zelenskyy, VolodymyrVolodymyr Zelenskyy	Born 1978	President of Ukraine during the 2022 Russian invasion.
		The Spirit of Ukraine		Represents the strength of the Ukrainian people during the invasion.
2023		Swift, TaylorTaylor Swift	Born 1989	Singer-songwriter whose Eras Tour became the highest-grossing concert tour ever.
2024		Trump, DonaldDonald Trump (2)	Born 1946	Trump was re-elected U.S. President for a non-consecutive term.

Other Special Awards

Every year, Time also gives out other awards to influential people or groups. This started in 1998 and became a regular thing in 2018. These awards celebrate achievements in different areas like sports, business, and entertainment.

Athlete of the Year

This award goes to a top athlete who made a big impact that year.

Entertainer of the Year

This award celebrates a person who made a big splash in the entertainment world.

Kid of the Year

This award recognizes young people who are making a difference in the world.

Online Poll

From 2010 to 2022, Time held an online poll where readers could vote for their choice for "Person of the Year." It's important to remember that the winner of this poll was chosen by readers and did not affect the final decision made by Time editors.

See also

In Spanish: Persona del año para niños

• Time 100
• Time 100: The Most Important People of the Century
• Time100 Impact Awards