Celebrating 250 Years of American Storytelling
The new edition marks a quarter‑century of the United States, opening with an homage to the nation’s most iconic companies. A nationwide poll—partnered with a research firm—ranked firms like Ford, Apple, and Disney not just for profits but for their cultural impact. TIME itself is counted among those that shape how people view America.
Global Reach
- Rwanda: An aid worker waits each week for a plane‑delivered copy.
- India: An entrepreneur grew up reading the paper with her father.
For many Americans, TIME offers a window into other parts of the country and beyond. Since the 20th century, when TIME’s co‑founder called it the “American century,” the magazine has both reflected and shaped American identity.
Historical Context
A historian recently noted that the nation’s founders fought to give ordinary citizens power—a principle modern media also supports. In this issue, former editor Walter Isaacson discusses the “greatest sentence ever crafted” and its role in America’s birth.
A clip from a new video series, The CEO Moment, features Bank of America’s CEO Brian Moynihan discussing leadership and the bank’s long‑standing economic role.
What Captures American Life
| Contributor | Symbol |
|---|---|
| Tim Cook | iPhone |
| Gwynne Shotwell | SpaceX rocket |
| Ken Burns | Lincoln Memorial |
| Ralph Lauren | Empire State Building |
| Bill Ford | Michigan Central Station |
Athletes and authors also share their icons:
- Mikaela Shiffrin – Rockies
- Alex Honnold – Yosemite cliffs
- Ann Patchett, George Saunders, Min Jin Lee – books that define the nation
A Portrait of America
These stories together paint a portrait of America’s past, present, and future, showing how media, technology, art, and sport all weave into a shared national narrative.
