Each year, the magazine selects the person who has most influenced the news and the world over the previous 12 months.
Donald Trump went from reality TV star and businessman to president-elect of the United States. The controversial billionaire tapped into the frustrations of ordinary Americans and claimed victory in a close election that was both brutal and shocking.
Despite coming out with countless controversial statements, Trump succeeded in beating rival Hillary Clinton, a career politician with decades of experience to take the role of commander-in-chief. Love him or hate him, 2016 was the year of Trump.
Editors of the magazine revealed a shortlist of 11 contenders on Monday, which also included Trump’s election rival Hillary Clinton, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg, Russia’s CRISPR scientists, Beyoncé Knowles, and US gymnast Simone Biles.
Indian PM Modi was awarded the reader’s poll for Time’s person of the year, beating US President Barack Obama and WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange.
The 2015 accolade was awarded to Chancellor Angela Merkel, which made her the first woman to receive the title since 1986. Merkel, was praised her “humanity, generosity, and tolerance” in her handling of the EU in times of crisis.
