Time Persons of the Year 2005

Time magazine has selected Microsoft Corp. founder and chairman Bill Gates, his wife Melinda, and U2 lead singer and activist Bono as its "persons of the year." They won for being "Good Samaritans" who made a difference in different ways. Examples of Gates' generosity this year are impressive, while Bono has become an expert at putting the pressure on governments around the world to cancel dept payments for the world's poorest nations, and convincing pharmaceutical companies to give free HIV drugs to African countries. Right on!

The Good Samaritans

For being shrewd about doing good, for rewiring politics and re-engineering justice, for making mercy smarter and hope strategic and then daring the rest of us to follow, Bill and Melinda Gates and Bono are TIME's Persons of the Year. read more