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Video: Adolf Hitler and other controversial and controversial personalities that Time magazine called "Person of the Year"
2024 Author: Richard Flannagan | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-15 23:55
The question of who can be considered a landmark figure in history is very difficult and always arouses heated controversy. If, for example, a major state leader has thousands of human lives, does he have the right to be considered great or should he be consigned to oblivion? What about Hitler? Every December since 1927, the world famous weekly Time selects a Person of the Year. And sometimes this title was awarded to very controversial figures.
Time magazine was founded in the early 1920s by students at Yale University and became the world's first news weekly. As you know, the publication is popular and enjoys authority to this day.
At the end of 1927, the cover of Time published a portrait of the famous pilot Charles Lindbergh, who flew the Atlantic for the first time single-handedly, whom the magazine called the main person of the past year. Since then, choosing the Person of the Year has become a tradition. But if everything is clear with the achievement of Lindbergh (a single transatlantic flight became a real breakthrough in world aviation), then some of the persons who were chosen by the heroes of the publication during their lifetime can now cause bewilderment.
First of all, it is necessary to clarify what criteria Time has always followed in nominating such candidates. This is, firstly, the hit of this or that person in the world's news columns during the year, and, secondly, popularity in society, regardless of whether it is a positive or negative figure in the eyes of citizens.
Adolf Gitler
The Fuhrer was named Man of the Year in 1938. At that time, he was at the peak of his popularity. There was less than a year left before the start of World War II …
Time weekly explained his choice by the fact that Hitler passed through servile Europe as a real conqueror and took under his absolute rule 10, 5 million citizens of Austria and Czechoslovakia.
In a voluminous accompanying article by Time, listing all the "merits" of the leader of Germany, it was said, among other things, that Hitler became last year "the greatest menacing force that the democratic, freedom-loving world faced today" and it was suggested that it was thanks to Adolf Hitler will have a memorable year 1939.
At that time, the editors could not even imagine the scale of the potential danger that this "force" would bring to all mankind, and all the atrocities of fascism, but, nevertheless, even then they considered its influence in Europe to be significant.
Joseph Stalin
The first time Stalin was declared Man of the Year in 1939, and it is noteworthy that he received this title immediately after Hitler. Among the merits were indicated not only his role in foreign policy and, in particular, overseeing the signing of the famous Non-Aggression Pact between Germany and the USSR, but also the authority that he had in his country after Lenin's death. Also mentioned was his contribution to the development of Soviet industry, which in a few years was brought to the world level.
In 1939, the publication wrote about him as follows: “Joseph Stalin went a long way to deify himself during his lifetime. There is no flattery that is too open for him, and there is no compliment that is too broad for him. He personifies the example of all socialist wisdom. "The realization that this nationwide popularity and "wisdom" hid, among other things, bloody repressions, came only later.
In 1942, the Soviet leader again hit the cover of Time - this time for his key role in the fight against fascism and the heroism of the Soviet troops in the Battle of Stalingrad. Calling Stalin a “tough guy”, the publication wrote about him like this: “1942 was the year of blood and strength. And his hero was a man whose name translates as “steel”. Only Joseph Stalin knows how close his country was to defeat in 1942, and only he knows how he managed to save Russia."
Nikita Khrushchev
No less controversial figure for our compatriots, Nikita Khrushchev, also became the Person of the Year. The leader who ruled the Soviet Union for most of the Cold War and nearly brought the world to World War III, as well as an ardent fighter against the cult of personality, became the main persona of 1957. Then, nominating him for this "nomination", the management of the publication drew attention first of all to the fact that in the past year, during the reign of Khrushchev, the Soviet Union launched the world's first satellite, and this marked the beginning of the space race.
Journalists predicted that now, when humanity is entering a new, space age, this will bring the world not only new opportunities, but also new military threats - more serious than in the entire previous history.
Richard Nixon
The Vietnam War is closely related to the name of Richard Nixon, who is considered one of the most controversial US presidents. Both positive and negative actions can be found in his political career.
The odious president became the Person of the Year in 1971 and 1972 (for the second time - together with his adviser Henry Kissinger). He received this title primarily in connection with his historic visit to China (the first official visit of the US leadership to this country). Also, the editorial board's decision was influenced by Nixon's participation in the signing of the OCB-I arms control treaty with the USSR. Among other merits of Nixon, the landing of American astronauts on the moon and his visit as president during his reign to all 50 states of the country are named.
However, all his successes as head of state were finally canceled out by the famous Watergate scandal and his subsequent resignation. Time described Nixon as being completely unpredictable.
Ruhollah Khomeini
Leader Ruhollah Khomeini, one of the central figures of the Islamic Revolution in Iran, received the title of Person of the Year in 1979. The revolution in this country and the establishment of the Islamic Republic, headed by the once disgraced theologian Khomeini, is recognized as one of the key world events of the last century and was of great political and historical significance.
The supreme leader of Iran, warning society about the dangers of Western influence and calling the United States "great Satan", led the country until his death. He passed away in 1989 at the age of 86. Even today, Khomeini's personality has a huge impact on Iranians and Muslims in general.
By the way, the revolution in Iran played a fateful role in the life of an ordinary person, Mehran Karimi Nasseri. The story of a man who lived for 18 years in an airport terminal, but did not lose his optimism, became known all over the world.
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