Time 100: The Most Important People of The Century - Person of The Century

Person of The Century

Of the 100 chosen, Albert Einstein was chosen the Person of the Century, on the grounds that he was the preeminent scientist in a century dominated by science. The editors of Time believed the 20th century "will be remembered foremost for its science and technology", and Einstein "serves as a symbol of all the scientists—such as Heisenberg, Bohr, Richard Feynman, ...who built upon his work".

The cover of the magazine featured the famous image of Einstein taken in 1947 by American portrait photographer Philippe Halsman.

• Albert Einstein

Runners-up:

• Mohandas K. Gandhi

• Franklin D. Roosevelt

It was debated whether Adolf Hitler, German Chancellor and Führer responsible for World War II and The Holocaust, should have been made Person of the Century for his impact on the twentieth century. The argument was based on Time's explicit criterion that the person chosen should have the greatest impact on this century, for better or worse. In the same December 31, 1999 issue of Time, essayist Nancy Gibbs addressed the topic with the article The Necessary Evil?. In the article, she argues that Hitler "was simply the latest in a long line of murderous figures, stretching back to before Genghis Khan. The only difference was technology: Hitler went about his cynical carnage with all the efficiency that modern industry had perfected" and presents several rhetorical questions such as "Evil may be a powerful force, a seductive idea, but is it more powerful than genius, creativity, courage or generosity?"