Teenage climate activist Greta Thunberg is TIME’s 2019 Person of the Year, the magazine announced on Wednesday.
The 16-year-old, who has become the public face of climate change activism since leading school strikes in her home country of Sweden, topped President Donald Trump and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) to win the accolade. “I’d like to tell my grandchildren that we did everything we could,” she told TIME magazine. “And we did it for them and for the generations to come.”
Turkey accuses Netanyahu of pursuing ‘expansionist’ policies after Israeli strike on Syrian airbase
California special interest groups follow Newsom into early 2028 primary states
Hegseth’s growing campaign role sparks talk of political future
‘How Weak Are You?’: Watch as Vet Who Lost Both Legs in Afghanistan Shreds Sailors Whining About Food on USS Abraham Lincoln
Minnesota prosecutor accused of billing Medicaid from commercial sex house she turned into assisted-living facility
Socialists capture major Florida victory on hit-or-miss night for Trump-endorsed primary candidates
Inside the tension that drove Trump’s South Korea alliance from ‘historic new era’ to military pullback
State of play: What to know about California showdown to replace Swalwell after massive scandal
Former state rep tops ranked-choice slugfest as Alaska advances nominees for governor
Alaskan political scion hopes to hold onto state’s single House seat
America’s reddest state crowns GOP governor nominee
Democrats pick their fighter for uphill bid to flip deep-red Senate seat
69 live animals found stuffed in pillowcases in hidden car compartment after border arrest: Feds
Prosecutors hammer Tyler Robinson’s bid to derail death penalty in Charlie Kirk murder case
Maryland rocked by third beaver attack in weeks after 2 animals test positive for rabies
.@GretaThunberg is TIME's 2019 Person of the Year #TIMEPOY https://t.co/YZ7U6Up76v pic.twitter.com/SWALBfeGl6
— TIME (@TIME) December 11, 2019
TIME’s editor-in-chief, Edward Felsenthal, unveiled this year’s winner on NBC’s Today Show, describing Thunberg as the “biggest voice on the biggest issue facing the planet.”
“She became the biggest voice on the biggest issue facing the planet this year.” TIME Editor-in-Chief @efelsenthal talks about why TIME chose @GretaThunberg to be Person of the Year.
Thunberg, 16, is also the youngest person to ever receive the honor. pic.twitter.com/eTvLAiRtFW
— TODAY (@TODAYshow) December 11, 2019
Turkey accuses Netanyahu of pursuing ‘expansionist’ policies after Israeli strike on Syrian airbase
California special interest groups follow Newsom into early 2028 primary states
Hegseth’s growing campaign role sparks talk of political future
‘How Weak Are You?’: Watch as Vet Who Lost Both Legs in Afghanistan Shreds Sailors Whining About Food on USS Abraham Lincoln
Minnesota prosecutor accused of billing Medicaid from commercial sex house she turned into assisted-living facility
Socialists capture major Florida victory on hit-or-miss night for Trump-endorsed primary candidates
Inside the tension that drove Trump’s South Korea alliance from ‘historic new era’ to military pullback
State of play: What to know about California showdown to replace Swalwell after massive scandal
Former state rep tops ranked-choice slugfest as Alaska advances nominees for governor
Alaskan political scion hopes to hold onto state’s single House seat
America’s reddest state crowns GOP governor nominee
Democrats pick their fighter for uphill bid to flip deep-red Senate seat
69 live animals found stuffed in pillowcases in hidden car compartment after border arrest: Feds
Prosecutors hammer Tyler Robinson’s bid to derail death penalty in Charlie Kirk murder case
Maryland rocked by third beaver attack in weeks after 2 animals test positive for rabies
“She also represents a broader generational shift in the culture that we’re seeing from the campuses of Hong Kong to the protests in Chile to Parkland, Florida, where the students marched against gun violence where young people are demanding change urgently,” said Felsenthal.
Thunberg garnered headlines earlier this year for sailing — rather than flying — from England to New York City to attended the United Nations climate summit. During the conference, Thunberg raised eyebrows for a pointed speech in which she angerly accused world leaders of robbing her and other young people of their future due to their inaction on so-called global warming.
“This is all wrong. I shouldn’t be up here,” she said in her remarks. “I should be back in school, on the other side of the ocean. Yet you all come to us young people for hope. How dare you!”
Thunberg and a dozen other activists also lodged a complaint with the U.N. that accused France and four other countries of failing to adequately address the issue, a move that drew scorn from French President Emmanuel Macron.
Speaking at the time with Europe 1, Macron branded the complaint as “very radical” and warned it would likely “antagonize societies.”
“All the movements of our youth — or our not-so-young — are helpful,” explained the globalist leader. “But they must now focus on those who are furthest away, those who are seeking to block the way.”
Thunberg is the youngest person ever to be named the magazine’s “Person of the Year.”
TIME selected “The Guardians and the War on Truth” — a group of imprisoned and killed journalists — as its “Person of the Year” in 2018.
Story cited here.
