Bruce Springsteen, who endorsed Biden in a campaign ad, announced Time magazine's choice during a television special on NBC. Biden, the former vice president under Obama, and Harris, a US senator from California, will be featured on the magazine's cover on Dec 21. They beat out health care workers, Dr. Fauci, the racial justice movement, and Trump for the honor. Time revealed the finalists on the "Today" show and the editor-in-chief noted the magazine's historical ties to the presidency. Felsenthal pointed out that this was the first time the magazine had selected the vice president as a person of the year. He emphasized that the choice of person of the year is not just a reflection of the past year, but also an indication of the future. He mentioned that the next four years will be a significant test for Vice President Harris and President Biden to see if they can deliver on their promise of unity. Biden, speaking in a prerecorded segment, expressed his belief that if Trump had been reelected, it would have had a lasting impact on the American identity. Harris, who initially ran for president, acknowledged the challenges they would face. "We are currently facing multiple crises that have come together," she stated. Despite the decline of weekly print magazines in the media industry, Time magazine's marketing of their annual distinction continues to generate excitement. The tradition dates back to 1927, when aviator Charles Lindbergh was named the first "man of the year." Time has honored presidents, peacemakers, astronauts, popes, Queen Elizabeth II, American women, and the Earth. However, some of the individuals chosen in the past have been notorious, such as Adolf Hitler in 1938 and Josef Stalin in 1939 and 1942. Time's selection process is not based on popularity, but rather on the person or persons who had the most impact on the news and our lives, whether positive or negative. In 2019, Greta Thunberg was chosen as Time's person of the year, beating out other notable figures such as Nancy Pelosi, Trump, the Ukraine whistleblower, and the Hong Kong protesters. Trump criticized the choice of Thunberg, calling it "ridiculous" on Twitter. In 2018, Time magazine chose a group of journalists, including the murdered Saudi dissident Jamal Khashoggi, as its person of the year to highlight the dangers faced by independent journalists amid widespread disinformation. The journalists honored also included the staff of The Capital Gazette newspapers in Maryland, where five people were killed in a shooting in June 2018. The previous year, Time had recognized the "silence breakers," women who sparked the Me Too movement by coming forward with allegations of sexual harassment and assault against powerful men. In 2017, before Time announced its choice, President Trump claimed on Twitter that he had been told he would likely be selected again and said he had declined the recognition. Time quickly issued a statement refuting the president's claim. Donald Trump was named Time's person of the year for 2016 after defeating Hillary Clinton in the presidential election. Unlike Trump, the last three presidents - Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, and Barack Obama - who were re-elected, were each named Time's person of the year twice during their tenure. Nine presidents, including Dwight D. Eisenhower who was recognized in 1944 for his role in World War II, have been selected more than once by the magazine. Franklin D. Roosevelt holds the record for being named person of the year three times. Text from around 2020 belonging to The New York Times Company.