Person of the Year 2008

Barack Obama

In one of the craziest elections in American history, Barack Obama overcame a lack of experience, a funny name, two candidates who are political institutions and the racial divide to become the 44th President of the United States More »

Obama: The College Years

A 1980 photo shoot reveals a playful side of the President-elect More »
Barack Obama on Flickr

Obama-themed art from the web's top photo-sharing site More »
Graphic: Six Degrees of Obama

What connects Barack Obama to every one of our previous Persons of the Year? More »
Runners-Up

From a Vice Presidential nominee to the $700 billion man, their impact was considerable. More »
People Who Mattered

Their actions in 2008 changed the course of science, culture, politics and history More »
Fond Farewells

TIME's tribute to the people who left us this year and whose legacies won't be forgotten. More »
Pictures of the Year 2008

In a year of upheaval too dramatic for words, these were photos that said it all. More »
Graphic: TIME's Person of the Year 1927-2010

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 More »