Time Magazine named Volodymyr Zelensky, the Ukrainian president, and “the spirit Ukraine” as its Person of Year for 2022.

This award is given to the person or event that has had the greatest influence on global events in the last 12 months.

Other finalists were protestors in Iran, China’s leader Xi Jinping, and the US Supreme Court.

According to the editor of the magazine, this decision was “the clearest in my memory”.

Edward Felsenthal wrote, “In a world that was becoming to be defined as its divisiveness there was a coming together around the cause, around this nation.”

He said that the “spirit Ukraine” refers to all Ukrainians, not just those who were “working behind the scenes”. These include Ievgen Klopotenko, who was a Ukrainian chef and Yuliia Payevska, who was held in Russian captivity for three months before being released.

According to the magazine, Mr Zelensky was an inspiration for Ukrainians and was internationally recognized for his bravery in resisting the Russian invasion.

It stated that “Zelensky’s success in wartime leadership has been based on the fact courage is contagious.”

The magazine covers include David Nott, a British trauma surgeon who traveled to Ukraine to assist those who were injured during the war.

Time named Iran’s women 2022 Heroes of Year and Blackpink, a K-pop group, Time’s Entertainer for the Year.

American baseball player Aaron Judge was named the Athlete of the year, while Michelle Yeoh from Malaysia is the Icon of the year.

Elon Musk, last year’s winner was listed again as a finalist. His electric car company, Tesla became the world’s most valuable automobile manufacturer in 2021.

Although it was the Man of the year back then, the tradition started in 1927.

Past winners include Adolf Hitler, the ex-dictator of Germany in 1938, as well as Vladimir Putin, the Russian President, who was named Person of the Year in 2007.

The winners of the past ten years

2021 – Elon Musk

2020 – Joe Biden & Kamala Harris

2019 – Greta Thunberg

2018 – “The Guardians”, an international group of journalists that includes Jamal Khashoggi

2017 – The #MeToo Movement’s “Silence Breakers”, the women who began the movement

2016 – Donald Trump

2015 – Angela Merkel

2014 – The “Ebola Fighters”, medics fighting to control the epidemic in Africa

2013 – Pope Francis

Barack Obama 2012