The 2011 TIME 100 Poll

Cast your votes for the leaders, artists, innovators, icons and heroes that you think are the most influential people in the world. Though official voting for inclusion on the TIME 100 list has now closed (with Rain as the 2011 readers' choice), users can continue to vote for their favorites until the final list, selected by our editors, is revealed on Thursday, April 21st

TIME 100 Candidates

Wael Ghonim

By TIME StaffMonday, Apr. 04, 2011
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Chris Hondros / Getty Images

Age: 30
Occupation: Google executive and Egyptian-democracy activist
Previous TIME 100 appearances: 0

Wael Ghonim has updated the revolutionary adage that when history can't be written with the pen, it must be written with the rifle. The Facebook social movement started by Ghonim to protest the police murder of Internet activist Khaled Saeed lit the spark that started the Tahrir Square demonstrations and ultimately brought down Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak. In an interview he gave upon his release after 11 days in detention, he humbly but passionately articulated the demand for freedom, striking an emotional chord that boosted the protest movement into a force Mubarak could not resist.

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