The Online Poll

Who’s Your Hero?

Many weeks ago we asked you who was YOUR hero? It could have been anyone, from a hometown idol to a global icon. heroes give us a new perspective on life, lead by example and urge us on to ever greater achievements.

There were just TWO rules for nominations: Your chosen hero had to be alive and he or she must hail from the Time EMEA region (which includes Europe, the Middle East and Africa).

You responded with gusto and we were soon sifting through the various entries. The nominations were wide ranging. They included Portugal's firefighters, put forward, among others, by Graça Peralta of Sintra, Portugal. She said: "They are trying to save our country from the terrible fires we are going through, saving our belongings and risking their own lives."

Iranian author and political activist Akbar Ganji was well supported, as was Dutch filmmaker Ayaan Hirsi Ali. Other names included British Prime Minister Tony Blair, King Simeon II of Bulgaria, Pope Benedict, the last Soviet president Mikhail Gorbachev and Liberian presidential hopeful George Weah.

When nominations closed, we narrowed the field down to the five most popular names. They were rock superstar and debt campaigner Bono, former South African President Nelson Mandela, Israeli Premier Ariel Sharon, Live 8 organiser Bob Geldof and entrepreneur Sir Richard Branson. Finally we threw the vote open in a straight popularity race.

Now, the votes cast and counted, we can reveal who you, the public, voted as your choice for TIME European's Online Hero for 2005 ...

And the winner is »

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