Time magazine: Greta Thunberg is 2019's Person of the Year

Sixteen-year-old Greta Thunberg of Sweden is Time magazine's 2019 Person of the Year.

What are the details?

The magazine announced Wednesday that Thunberg, Swedish climate change activist dynamo, is the "youngest individual to be recognized."

Time's editors write, "She gained international attention for excoriating world leaders for their inaction in the climate crisis in a viral speech she made at the UN Climate Action Summit in September. She criticized world leaders again at the COP25 conference last week."

According to the magazine's editors, Thunberg has easily become the "biggest voice on the biggest issue facing the planet."

CNN points out that this is the third year in row that the magazine has not named a world leader as its annual Person of the Year.

"We describe it as the person who influenced the years' events most, for better or for worse. But I really think of it as Time is about the people and ideas that shape the world and Person of the Year is about the people who shaped the year," Time editor-in-chief Edward Felsenthal told CNN in an interview.

Felsenthal also said that Thunberg has been instrumental in leading climate change activism in 2019.

"She was a solo protestor with a hand-painted sign 14 months ago. She's now led millions of people around the world, 150 countries, to act on behalf of the planet," Felsenthal added.

What else?

Others up for consideration for the magazine's 2019 Person of the Year included President Donald Trump, Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), the Whistleblower and the Hong Kong protesters.

Time also announced winners in new categories: Athlete of the year is the U.S. women's soccer team, entertainer of the year is Lizzo and business person of the year is Disney CEO Bob Iger.

You can read more about Thunberg's work here.