COVER
Pope Francis, The People's Pope (2013 Person Of The Year / Pope Francis)
He took the name of a humble saint and then called for a church of healing. The first non-European pope in 1,200 years is poised to transform a place that measures change by the century
EDITOR'S DESK
The Voices of 2013 (Cover)
FEATURES
Pope Francis, The Choice (2013 Person Of The Year)
With a focus on compassion, the leader of the Catholic Church has become a new voice of conscience. Managing Editor Nancy Gibbs explains why Francis is TIME's pick for Person of the Year 2013
Edward Snowden, The Dark Prophet (2013 Person Of The Year / 2013 The Short List)
He pulled off the year's most spectacular heist. Exiled from his country, the 30-year-old computer whiz has become the doomsayer of the information age
Edith Windsor, The Unlikely Activist (2013 Person Of The Year / 2013 The Short List)
In her ninth decade, she started a judicial odyssey, fighting a battle she never expected to wage—let alone win. Now she's the matriarch of the gay-rights movement
Bashar Assad, The Lethal Tyrant (2013 Person Of The Year / 2013 The Short List)
The doctor turned despot kept his grip on power. Still he sits uneasily on his contaminated throne. As Syria disintegrates, another generation of turbulence awaits
Ted Cruz, The Barn Burner (2013 Person Of The Year / 2013 The Short List)
In 2013, the audacious upstart shut down the government on a hopeless quest to stop the President's signature policy. Love him or hate him, he is a vision of the future
THE CULTURE
Questlove Is the Coolest Person of 2013 (The Awesome Column)
The Roots drummer beat out the competition this year
ALSO IN THIS ISSUE
The Man Who Could Not Cry (Nelson Mandela / Appreciation)
Humor, humility and the ability to compromise were the marks of the man
The Long Walk (Nelson Mandela / 1918--2013)
Protester. Prisoner. Peacemaker.
How I Got to Play the Hero (Nelson Mandela / Appreciation)
An actor recalls the moment Nelson Mandela changed his life
A Leader and a Champion (Nelson Mandela / Appreciation)
South Africa's rugby captain recounts how Mandela used sport for national healing
Mandela 1918--2013 (Nelson Mandela)
Immortal Words (Nelson Mandela)
LETTERS
The Year In Covers (Conversation)
Readers react to our biggest stories
BRIEFING
The Year in Mayors' Gaffes (2013 In Brief)
A road to political purgatory, from bad to worst
The Most Powerful Couples of 2013 (2013 In Brief)
How to get from Pope Francis to Lady Gaga in 11 easy steps
The Year in Highs & Lows (2013 In Brief)
Who thrived and who took a dive
Fifteen Minutes of Fame by Joel Stein (2013 In Brief)
The Heroes, villains and events that rose, briefly, to the top
The Decider (The Decider / 2013 / The Last word)
Don't take our word for it. Choose your own Person Of The Year
The Year In Things (2013 In Brief)
The inanimate objects that drove the news
The 11 Most Influential Fictional Characters of 2013 (2013 In Brief)
The most influential onscreen characters
The Year In Quotes (2013 In Brief)
The Year In Social Media (2013 In Brief)
The best and worst trending stories
The Year in Connections (2013 In Brief)
Every romance, alliance, breakup and brouhaha that mattered