Who is the person of the decade?



As we enter the last few weeks of the 2000s, the Magazine is enlisting readers to tell the story of the last 10 years, based on five themes. On the second day of the series, the team from biographical book Who's Who suggests some "people of the decade". The summing up of a decade is not an easy task. Countless people who represent us, who interest us and who influence our lives have shaped the Noughties. While the period has been overshadowed by war and terror attacks, we have seen an explosion of connecting, communicating and consuming, thanks to those who brought us Google, Wikipedia, Facebook, YouTube, Amazon and eBay. WHAT IS 'PORTRAIT OF THE DECADE' ALL ABOUT? We want readers to help us to create a portrait of the decade Each day this week we focus on a different theme - words, people, news, objects and culture Readers can make their suggestions using the form below Try to be original It is not a vote - an expert will pick 20 in each category The final 100 things about the Noughties will be revealed on Monday, 14 December An artist will illustrate them on a colour poster for readers

Our guidelines for Portrait of the Decade We admired the achievements of our sporting heroes and we have been entertained by the like of James Bond. We have developed an obsession for celebrities, reality shows and talent contests, while 24-hour news brought us the McCanns in the search for their missing daughter, Madeleine McCann. The world changed forever after 11 September 2001 when terror attacks prompted George W Bush, former US president, to launch his "War on Terror" and the hunt he launched for Osama bin Laden still goes on. Inclusion on this list does not confer honour on that person, merely recognise their impact, and in that sense Saddam Hussein could also be mentioned. Although the way people consumed media changed in many ways, Rupert Murdoch remained as one of the industry's giants. One of the innovative leaders of the digital music revolution was Steven Jobs, CEO of Apple, while Shawn Fanning paved the way for illegal file-sharing when he created Napster. Simon Cowell became a household name after appearing on Pop Idol, and creating X-Factor and Britain's Got Talent - with their spin-offs across the globe - in which viewers were invited to participate in the judging process. Footballer David Beckham became the face of soccer in the US, while little-known German football coach Otto Rehhagel stunned the world of football by taking Greece to the European title in 2004. The creator of Harry Potter, JK Rowling, has broken records for the fastest-selling book in history and encouraged millions of children to read. But one of the literary phenomena of the decade was undoubtedly "misery literature", one of the early exponents of which was American writer Dave Peltzer. MEET THE EXPERT Chatham House, home of the Royal Institute of International Affairs, is a world-leading institute for the debate and analysis of international issues. Associate Fellow, Professor Richard G Whitman has stepped up to take a look at your suggestions and pick those the institute thinks best define the Noughties. Since chef Jamie Oliver first came on to our television screens as The Naked Chef, he has helped disadvantaged young adults through his Fifteen Foundation, he has campaigned for healthier school dinners and encouraged people to think about what we eat and the way we produce our food. The recession has been a bit of a "faceless" story but Sir Fred Goodwin, former chief executive of the Royal Bank of Scotland, was vilified for his part in it. He presided over the bank's rise to global prominence and its rapid fall. Now it's your turn. Pick one of these names or come up with one of your own. Tell us your person or people of the decade using the form further up the page . If you missed the first part in our series - on words of the decade - you can read it here . Truthiness, Google, "Whatever", Celebutante, Blog and Meh, are just a few of your suggestions, which have been passed on to our expert.



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