People

1. Rudy Giuliani
As New York City’s pathologically combative mayor, the ex-prosecutor picked fights with jaywalkers, street artists, politicians and his own wife — all while calling for a Decency Commission. Then Sept. 11 refocused his bountiful energy on a tragedy the likes of which no American mayor had ever faced. Clearly in charge, exhausted but never flagging, he became a symbol of strength, comforting a traumatized city (and nation) by being himself — proud, fallible, exceedingly decent and, above all else, a New Yorker.

2. Nkosi Johnson
As South Africa’s President, Thabo Mbeki responded to his nation’s AIDS epidemic with denial and rationalizations, it took a 12-year-old boy infected through his mother to claim humanity for millions of his sick countrymen. Johnson was abandoned by his mother and first met his father at her funeral, but before his own death on June 1, he showed more courage than any elected official, laying down a challenge — “care for us and accept us” — that, if ignored, will imperil Africa’s future.

3. Princess Mette-Marit Tjessem Hoiby
In August four Kings, five Queens, 10 princes and 12 princesses sat in Oslo Cathedral and watched Mette-Marit, single mother and self-confessed wild child, bring fairy tales to life by marrying Norway’s Crown Prince Haakon. In a country where half the children are born out of wedlock, the blond beauty is truly a princess of the people. Haakon, who ignored criticism from conservatives and stuck to the love match, has proved himself a most princely stepfather.

4. Junichiro Koizumi
An outsider with personality. An idol with great hair. The longtime pol positioned himself as a challenger to the dry bureaucrats that have overseen Japan’s decade-long slump. Desperate for change, the public overwhelmingly backed him. Which could be why he retains popular support, despite still festering economic problems, reforms yet to be enacted and still empty promises of better days.

5. J.K. Rowling
The Harry Potter author is on her way to becoming a club of one as this world’s first billionaire author. While the otherworldly book series has been a pretty little earner for the British scribe — 100 million copies sold worldwide — the celluloid version has Harry’s Nimbus 2000 broom and other merchandise flying off the shelves.

6. Princess Aiko
When her diplomat mom married her dad, Crown Prince Naruhito, back in 1993, young Japanese women expected Crown Princess Masako to become a role model. Instead of shaking up the ossified imperial household, the Harvard graduate almost disappeared from public view. Now the modernizing mantle falls on little Princess Aiko, born Dec. 1. With no male sibling yet, she has set the nation to discussing the unthinkable: allowing a woman to ascend to the Chrysanthemum Throne. Surprisingly, more than 86% of Japanese think Empress Aiko sounds just fine.

7. Gao Zhan
During a visit home, the Chinese-born academic, now a researcher at American University in Washington, D.C., was arrested as a spy and detained for nearly six months before China convicted and expelled her. The scholar, whose son and husband are American citizens, was one of several academics with U.S. ties arrested this year. But she is vowing to defy Chinese threats to keep silent and has spoken openly about her experience. The bespectacled sociologist’s controversial specialty? Gender studies.

8. Dennis Tito
The U.S. multimillionaire became the world’s first space tourist when the Russians blasted him into orbit for a cool $20 million. Not pleased with the space-for-cash scheme, NASA threatened to bar the feisty 60-year-old from the International Space Station. Tito’s journey paved the way for an international compromise to allow more space travelers. Next up? South African Mark Shuttleworth — for a reported $25 million. With NASA a bit cash-strapped itself these days, it might be just as well that it changed its tune.

9. Temba Tsheri
Last year, Tsheri, then 15, was within 50 m of the world’s highest point, the summit of Mount Everest. Weather forced him to retreat, and a careless mistake — removing his gloves to tie his boots — led to frostbite that cost him five fingers. Most kids might have stuck to their Game Boy after that, but on May 23, Tsheri became the youngest person to stand atop Everest. For an encore, the 16-year-old Nepali says, “I am going to concentrate on my studies.”

Steffi Graf and Andre Agassi
The longtime tennis pros and fan favorites declared themselves a deuce and married in October, four days before son Jaden Gil was born. Considering the combined gene pools, watching former women’s champion Graf cringe through some of Agassi’s current matches might only be a prelude to Wimbledon 2021.