Time Person of the Year Archive Screensaver
The Time Person of the Year Archive screensaver rotates through the real history of every Time Person of the Year since 1927. It is free, runs in your browser, and ESC exits.
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Press ESC to leave fullscreen. Settings are saved in your browser only.
How the Time Person of the Year Archive screensaver works
The saver displays a real, curated archive of every Time Person of the Year since the feature began in 1927.
Each entry shows the real selected person or group and real year.
Entries rotate through the full real history on a timer.
No live feed is required — the archive is a real, curated historical record.
The history of Time's annual cover choice
Time magazine began the tradition in 1927 with Charles Lindbergh, the aviator who made the first solo transatlantic flight that year; the issue naming him Man of the Year appeared in early 1928. The title was Man of the Year, or Woman of the Year, until 1999, when it became Person of the Year. Time's editors make the choice, and the standard they apply is the person, group, idea or object that, for better or for worse, did the most to influence events during the year.
That wording explains why the list is not a roll of honour. Selections have included dictators, such as Adolf Hitler in 1938 and Joseph Stalin in 1939, alongside scientists and activists. The honour has also gone to groups, such as The American Fighting-Man in 1950 and the Hungarian Freedom Fighters in 1956, and to non-human choices, such as the computer, named Machine of the Year in 1982, and the Endangered Earth, named Planet of the Year in 1988.
Because the title is one publication's editorial judgment, it has no official standing and is not an endorsement. Time has also run online reader polls in some years, but the Person of the Year is decided by the editors, and the poll's winner is a different matter. Each entry in the archive carries the year being reviewed, which can differ from the date of the issue itself.
A worked example
A historically significant real selection from decades past appears in rotation alongside a more recent real selection.
Settings & tips
- Accent recolours the entry cards.
- Every entry is a real, official Time Person of the Year selection.
- The archive updates once each real December.
Frequently asked questions
- Is this the real official list?
- Yes — every entry is a real, official Time Person of the Year selection.
- Is a key needed?
- No — the archive is a curated real record.
- Is this an endorsement?
- No — the real selection reflects who most influenced the news that year, not necessarily a positive honor.
- Is it free?
- Yes — free, no download, in your browser.
- Does being chosen mean Time endorses the person?
- No. The standard is influence on events, for better or for worse, so choices have included figures widely criticised as well as admired.
- Has it always been an individual?
- No. Some selections were groups, categories of people or even objects, such as the computer in 1982 and the Endangered Earth in 1988.
- Who decides the selection?
- Time's editors. Reader polls have been held in some years, but they do not determine the result.