Manny Pacquiao and Corazon Aquino Person of the Year 2009 by Time Magazine
People Who Mattered
Manny Pacquiao
Manny Pacquiao was considered a savior by two groups of people this year: Filipinos and boxing aficionados. For his countrymen, the diminutive (5 ft. 6 in. and change) pugilist once again proved that their archipelago could produce more than tales of violence, poverty and natural disaster — that there was some undefined quality that could produce a fighter of such speed, resiliency and charisma as to be a living legend. For boxing fans, Pacquiao defied physics, rising through six weight classes to win seven world titles — and galvanizing the sport like no other boxer in years. His two bouts this year were among the most dramatic in the sport: his second-round knockout of Ricky Hatton and his terrifying demolition of the rock-solid Miguel Cotto over 11 rounds. His visceral charm — or his bloody attraction — will continue into next year with his expected multimillion-dollar, hugely lucrative matchup against Floyd Mayweather Jr., the only fighter remaining who can claim to be his equal.
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Fond Farewells
Corazon Aquino
Long before the fall of the Berlin Wall and the revolutions that transformed Central and Eastern Europe, Corazon Aquino led the People Power revolution, which toppled the Philippine dictator Ferdinand Marcos. His ouster after the infamous snap election of 1986, for which I was a U.S. observer, led TIME to name her Woman of the Year. Her presidency survived eight coup attempts as she patiently restored constitutional democracy to her country, where she died a revered figure. But her legacy was global. For the U.S., it marked the start of the Reagan doctrine to oppose authoritarianism of the right and left, and she helped inspire peaceful upheavals around the world. She showed that one person of modest demeanor can change history.source: www.time.com
