Remember September 2008? The month when the entire U.S. financial system almost collapsed? Ever since that pivotal moment, one person has been in the crosshairs, making decision after decision that has impacted nearly every American alive today.
That person is Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke. Because of his monumental influence on the world's most important economy, Bernanke has been named TIME magazine's 2009 Person of the Year.
TIME Managing Editor Richard Stengel called the Federal Reserve "the most powerful, least understood government force shaping our lives" as he revealed his magazine's choice live on TODAY Wednesday morning.
"He was the great scholar of the Depression who saw another depression coming, and did everything he could to stop it," Stengel said of Bernanke. "He's a controversial figure. He's a Republican appointed by a Democratic president. It's a really interesting combination of factors."
Read More
