Swedish climate-change activist Greta Thunberg became the TIME Person of the Year for 2019. The 16-year-old year activist made history as she become the "youngest individual ever" to be receive the accolade. While the magazine has a long tradition of recognising the "power of young people, the editors have never before selected a teenager", TIME said in their report. "For decades, researchers and activists have struggled to get world leaders to take the climate threat seriously. But this year, an unlikely teenager somehow got the world’s attention," the magazine wrote about the young activist who rose to fame for her unique style of protests where students miss school to draw attention to severity of climate-change. What began as a solo protest outside her country's parliament in 2018, got global attention in 2019 with children and adults from across the globe joined her to ask lawmakers and politicians to take charge to battle global warming amid the greatest mass extinction of the century. .@GretaThunberg is TIME's 2019 Person of the Year #TIMEPOY pic.twitter.com/SWALBfeGl6 — TIME (@TIME) December 11, 2019 "She is not a scientist or a politician. She has no access to traditional levers of influence: she’s not a billionaire or a princess, a pop star or even an adult. She is an ordinary teenage girl who, in summoning the courage to speak truth to power, became the icon of a generation," the report added. .@GretaThunberg: “I’d like to tell my grandchildren that we did everything we could. And we did it for them—for the generations to come” #TIMEPOY pic.twitter.com/dTQpOro75B — TIME (@TIME) December 11, 2019 The magazine released the cover featuring Thunberg on the shores of Lisbon from where she will travelling to Madrid by a sailboat to reduce carbon footprint to attend the United Nations' climate conference. The conference is crucial as global leaders meet to adopt new plans to meet a major deadline set by the Paris Agreement. .@GretaThunberg: “As often as I can, I try to say no to having meetings with politicians. It’s just small talk, basically. And of course they want to take selfies. I’m a bit tired of selfies right now” #TIMEPOY pic.twitter.com/PIhhagxD25 — TIME (@TIME) December 11, 2019 As the cover was released, it created a buzz online, with many lauding and congratulating the young girl for taking charge and leading the way to bring about a social change. Many also slammed her haters online and talked about how she's is "pricking their conscience". What a true inspiration to all. Thank you @GretaThunberg for paving the way and showing the power of youth. #TIMEPOY — Amy Brenneman (@AmyBrenneman) December 12, 2019 PERSON of the YEAR . #GretaThunberg My 5 year old daughter Ahilya is inspired by you & she has started speaking about conservation of environment. pic.twitter.com/YGgKW4kDx2 — Satyajeet Tambe (@satyajeettambe) December 11, 2019 Thank you @GretaThunberg for speaking the truth, demanding we listen, and bringing people from different generations, backgrounds, and nations together to combat climate catastrophe. We cannot wait to act. I am with you. Change is coming. — Pete Buttigieg (@PeteButtigieg) December 11, 2019 Congratulations #GretaThunberg!! You are a treasure. you are my hero!! pic.twitter.com/ztEykX4Wzy — Billy Baldwin (@BillyBaldwin) December 11, 2019 .@GretaThunberg is a great choice for @TIME Person of the year. I am so happy and proud to see a new generation of activists leading the fight for a better, cleaner future. Congrats and keep up the good work! #TIMEPOY — Denny Heck (@RepDennyHeck) December 11, 2019 Greta Thunberg wins #TimeMagazine 2019 Person of the Year. She simultaneously awakens the spirit of our collective childhood along with the wisdom of Mother Earth. Greta gives us hope, inspiration, wisdom, and a profound sense of urgency.#GretaThunberg #TIMEPersonoftheYear2019 pic.twitter.com/oxzYn9F7Wr — Dr. Jack Brown (@DrGJackBrown) December 11, 2019 Greta Thunberg wins #TimeMagazine 2019 Person of the Year. She simultaneously awakens the spirit of our collective childhood along with the wisdom of Mother Earth. Greta gives us hope, inspiration, wisdom, and a profound sense of urgency.#GretaThunberg #TIMEPersonoftheYear2019 pic.twitter.com/oxzYn9F7Wr — Dr. Jack Brown (@DrGJackBrown) December 11, 2019 This is amazing and beautiful and inspiring and everything we all needed to see today! Well done @GretaThunberg ❤️👌🏼👏🏼👏🏼 xx #FridaysForFuture #GretaThunberg — Bel Dowde (@bel_dowde) December 12, 2019 That noise you're hearing today? It's the sound of a million right wing, climate denialist heads exploding. Now for outrage from a pack of utterly irrelevant middle aged white idiots threatened by the actions of a child. Well done Greta. Well done indeed.#GretaThunberg @TIME pic.twitter.com/MacJ8iWmk8 — Daniel Best (@20thCenturyDan) December 11, 2019 So many of yesterday's men upset by tomorrow's young woman. Scarlet for ye, lads, and your fragile masculinity. #GretaThunberg — Bernie Linnane (@Berlinnaeus) December 11, 2019 Hey all you whiny crybabies out there screaming and pearl-clutching about #GretaThunberg being Time’s Person of the Year. She has willingly faced all your hate and vitriol and she still keeps on fighting. That kid has more balls than all of you combined. 😘 — Just call me Eva (@So_damntired) December 11, 2019 She made me reconsider whether to bring a child into this world, & If I ever have a daughter, I hope she is like #GretaThunberg; empowered, observant, strong willed, objective, compassionate, courageous, altruistic, and inspiring; hope from the next generation. — DaveO (@DaveOChicago) December 11, 2019 #GretaThunberg sounds like the name of a brave, principled, inspiring character in a Kim Stanley Robinson novel about the dangers of climate change. Only she's real. And she's leading the fight. #GoGretaGo — Ollie Guardian (@ollieguardian) December 11, 2019 Nailed it 👏🏽 @GretaThunberg is inspiring to young people & adults alike. Despite baseless attacks on her, at 16 she’s a fearless, articulate force. Time for adults to take action for welfare of future gen, start w/ #GreenNewDeal.#ClimateChange #ClimateEmergency #GretaThunberg — Assal Rad (@AssalRad) December 11, 2019
