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Time Annual 2010
By Editors of Time Magazine
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The year 2009 will be recalled as a time of new beginnings, as Barack Obama was sworn in on Jan. 20, becoming the nation's first African-American President. Yet much of Obama's first year in office was devoted to dealing with the legacies of the past, as his new Administration grappled with the ongoing fallout of the economic meltdown of 2007-08, and U.S. troops continued to serve in Iraq and Afghanistan. At home, the Administration's massive economic stimulus package and bailout of failing Detroit automakers met strong opposition, as "tea-baggers" staged rallies across the nation to protest government deficit spending. Abroad, the world watched in wonder when ordinary citizens in Iran rose up and took to the streets to fight an election they declared to be fixed.
In a postbubble world, it was a time for everyday heroes. We hailed Chesley Sullenberger, the courageous pilot who coolly ditched his powerless jetliner in the Hudson River, then walked its length twice to ensure that all 155 people aboard had escaped. We cheered Richard Phillips, the U.S. merchant marine captain who offered himself as a hostage to save his crew, then had his own life saved by U.S. Navy SEALS. We thrilled to Susan Boyle, the plain Scottish singer who took the world by storm.
In a rapidly globalizing world, the H1N1 virus circled the planet at the speed of hundreds of jetliners, and communication shifted into a higher gear as we flocked to Twitter. But we found the time to bid farewell to two complex, far-from-everyday figures: Senator Edward Kennedy, the "Lion of the Senate," and Michael Jackson, the peerless showman whose electrifying performances are likely to be recalled long after his personal tragedies are forgotten. |
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