COVER
Why History Can't Wait
Barack Obama is Person of the Year not just for what he's done but also for what he's moving quickly to do next
PERSON OF THE YEAR
The Interview
In a chat with TIME editors, the President-elect looks into the future
Runners-Up
From a Vice Presidential nominee to the $700 billion man, their impact was considerable
B-Ball with Barack
Michelle Obama's brother reveals what basketball tells us about the 44th President
The Long-Lost Negatives
In 1980 a handsome college freshman posed for a fellow student. Last winter the photographer went looking for her negatives. What she found is historic
People Who Mattered 2008
Some of them made us angry. Some of them made us laugh. A couple of them made us shake our heads in disbelief. But all these people made a big impact this year and, most likely, well beyond
Farewell
TIME's tribute to the people who left us this year and whose legacies won't be forgotten
Pictures of the Year 2008
In a year of upheavals too great for words, these were photos that said it all
To Our Readers
Barack Obama, our choice for 2008, says his success comes from all of "you." So does this year's issue, drawn from the work of thousands
GLOBAL ADVISER
One Night in San Francisco (TIME Traveler)
Let savvy locals tell you how to spend it stylishly
Get Drawn in by Australia's Magnetic Island (Diversions)
Visitors have gravitated to this bucolic island off Queensland's northern coast for centuries
A Taste of North Korea in Beijing (Next Time You're in ... Beijing)
Nestled in a suburb of the Chinese capital, restaurant and lounge Daeseong Sanguang delivers customers a little piece of the D.P.R.K. With national dishes and a bizarre after-dinner dance act
Barefoot Luxury in Indonesia (Check In)
You'll find iPod docks and four bars at the hotel built from driftwood on Nikoi Island, but no television
LETTERS
Detainees' Rights (Inbox)
Defining Defiance; Local Philanthropy; Despair in Zimbabwe