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(Dec. 15) -- Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg has edged out contenders like WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange and pop star Lady Gaga for Time magazine's 2010 "Person of the Year" honor.
So what set him apart?
Time explains:
In less than seven years, Zuckerberg wired together a twelfth of humanity into a single network, thereby creating a social entity almost twice as large as the U.S. If Facebook were a country it would be the third largest, behind only China and India. It started out as a lark, a diversion, but it has turned into something real, something that has changed the way human beings relate to one another on a species-wide scale. We are now running our social lives through a for-profit network that, on paper at least, has made Zuckerberg a billionaire six times over.
Besides making a name for himself with Facebook, the 26-year-old billionaire has made headlines for his philanthropy as well. In September, Zuckerberg said he was donating $100 million to Newark, N.J.'s troubled school system. (Incidentally, the gift was announced on the same day "The Social Network" film had its premiere; some critics said the movie portrayed the young entrepreneur in a negative fashion.)
And just last week, Zuckerberg revealed he had taken "The Giving Pledge" -- an initiative put together by Bill Gates and Warren Buffett that encourages wealthy people to give a substantial portion of their fortunes to charity.
But it's Zuckerberg's online creation that nabbed him the prestigious title from Time.
Here's more from the publication:
Check out some of the other candidates:Facebook has merged with the social fabric of American life, and not just American but human life: nearly half of all Americans have a Facebook account, but 70% of Facebook users live outside the U.S. It's a permanent fact of our global social reality. We have entered the Facebook age, and Mark Zuckerberg is the man who brought us here.
- Julian Assange
- Glenn Beck
- The Chilean miners
- Lady Gaga
- Hamid Karzai
- Sarah Palin
- The unemployed American
- LeBron James
(Click here for a full list.)
So what did folks think about Zuckerberg's latest accolade? Surge Desk took a peek at Time's Facebook post announcing the decision and grabbed a few of the comments (many of which weren't very, um, congratulatory).
Joan Santiago Bellmunt: Not a bad choice and less controversial than Assange as well! Clearly a step aside to dodge the hottest subject. Wouldn't cancel my Time sub if I had it however.
--
Andrew Higgins: Bad luck Assange, Time clearly doesn't want to upset the American government. Journalistic joke ...
--
Callum Roxburgh: What a gutless and outdated choice. Time magazine is about a edgy as yogurt.
But the Zuckerberg choice did get some praise.
Jason Lo: I am not much of a fan of FB, but, good choice.
--
Ussie Hassan Alajee: Well deserved!
Some of the more recent winners have included Barack Obama, Ben Bernanke, Bono and Vladimir Putin.
The honor is given to a person, group or thing that has influenced culture and news over the past year -- for good or bad.
Follow Surge Desk on Twitter.
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