Why We Chose Obama
Barack Obama, our choice for 2008, says his success comes from all of "you." So does this year's issue, drawn from the work of thousands
The Interview
The President-elect discusses his plans for the coming months, the improbability of his victory and how he's fighting to stay in touch with the real world from inside the presidential bubble
Obama: The College Years
A 1980 photo shoot reveals a playful side of the President-elect
Barack Obama on Flickr
Obama-themed art from the web's top photo-sharing site
B-Ball with Barack
Michelle Obama's brother reveals what basketball tells us about the 44th President
Runners-Up
Person of the Year 1927 - 2011
2011
No one could have known that when a Tunisian fruit vendor set himself on fire in a public square, it would incite protests that would topple dictators and start a global wave of dissent. In 2011, protesters didn't just voice their complaints; they changed the world.
TIME's Person of the Year is bestowed by the editors on the person or persons who most affected the news and our lives, for good or ill, and embodied what was important about the year. See who made the grade over TIME's first eight decades. See them all