To Our Readers
The 2011 Person of the Year issue is the product of a year's worth of reporting and thinking
Introduction
History often emerges only in retrospect. Events become significant only when looking back
Yuri Kozyrev: My Year On Revolution Road
Photographer Yuri Kozyrev shares about the remarkable experience of covering uprisings in seven countries and what all the revolutions had in common
The Protestor: A Portfolio by Peter Hapak
As TIME names the protester its 2011 Person of the Year, a look at protesters from around the world, from New York and Oakland to the Middle East
Meet Loukanikos, Athens' Protest Dog
The stray dog who joined the lines of demonstrators in the Greek capital has become an international celebrity
Why TIME Chose 'The Protester'
Managing editor Richard Stengel talks with Kurt Andersen, author of our cover story, about the decision to recognize the global protest movements of 2011 in TIME's Person of the Year issue
Why They Protest: Bahrain, Tunisia and Yemen
TIME world editor Bobby Ghosh explores the success of the protests in Tunisia and the setbacks and continuing violence protesters face in Bahrain and Yemen
The Media Messenger of Zuccotti Park Dog
How an activist/journalist's live video stream from New York City's Zuccotti Park garnered mainstream attention and helped galvanize a movement
Profiles of Protesters
Runners-Up
Video: Abolishing Debit Fees
Molly Katchpole started an online petition against Bank of America's debit fees that eventually garnered more than 306,000 signatures
Protests and Counterprotests
After a narrow win by the Prime Minister's party, United Russia, demonstrators take to the streets in Moscow and St. Petersburg
OWS: Protests and Camp Shutdowns
The Occupy Wall Street protest and similar demonstrations against corporate and financial systems continue globally
Egypt: 18 Days that Shook the World
A day-by-day photo chronicle of the 2011 Egyptian uprising
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