The Top Ten Finalists for Person of the Year in 2013

Managing Editor Nancy Gibbs names the full shortlist of contenders for the title with two days to go until the official selection

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Here are the final ten contenders for TIME’s Person of the Year (listed alphabetically):

Bashar Assad, President of Syria

Jeff Bezos, Amazon Founder

Ted Cruz, Texas Senator

Miley Cyrus, Singer

Pope Francis, Leader of the Catholic Church

Barack Obama, President of the United States

Hassan Rouhani, President of Iran

Kathleen Sebelius, Secretary of Health and Human Services

Edward Snowden, N.S.A. Leaker

Edith Windsor, Gay rights activist

TIME Managing Editor Nancy Gibbs announced the group on the TODAY show Monday morning. TIME’s Person of the Year will be announced Wednesday morning.

Obama was Person of the Year in 2008 and 2012. He is the only person who appeared on last year’s short list to make this year’s. His predecessor in the White House, Franklin D. Roosevelt, is the only person to receive the title three times.

TIME selected its first “Man of the Year” in 1927. The recognition goes to the person who TIME’s editors think most influenced the news this year, for good or bad. TIME’s readers, in a poll completed last week, selected Egypt’s General Abdul Fattah al-Sisi as their Person of the Year.

The TODAY SHOW is hosting their own poll for the final candidates.