TIME Names Obama "Person of the Year"
By: Laura Kellerman/NBC News
Updated: December 17, 2008
President-elect Barack Obama has racked up another huge accomplishment.
Along with being elected leader of the free world, he's been named as "TIME" magazine's Person of the Year.
"TIME" Managing Editor Richard Stengel said the President-elect was a perfect fit for the honor because he's a "transformational figure."
The title is meant for the person who had the biggest impact on the year's news.
Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson came in second on the list, followed by French President Nicolas Sarkozy, Alaska Governor Sarah Palin and the man who directed the opening and closing ceremonies of the Beijing Olympics.
"TIME" editors began picking the "Man of the Year" in 1927 before moving to the gender-neutral "Person of the Year" in 1999.
