From Kendrick Lamar to Jim Acosta: Most impactful men of the year

Kendrick Lamar: 2018 Pulitzer Prize winner for music

Kendrick Lamar, in a break from the stereotypes, not only became the first rapper to win the prestigious Pulitzer Prize for music this year, he also became the first winner who is not a classical or jazz musician. Dana Canedy, the administrator of the prizes, in an interview said: “It shines a light on hip-hop in a completely different way. This is a big moment for hip-hop music and a big moment for the Pulitzers.”

Thai cave rescue divers: The men who made the difference

An elite British dive team, earlier this year, helped rescue 12 boys and their soccer coach in Thailand after they were stranded in a half-submerged cave. The divers, some of the best in the world, flew to Thailand and volunteered to bring the children to safety, putting their own lives at peril. The divers spotted the young football team huddled together on a rocky slope in the darkness, emaciated, but eventually succeeded in saving them in a week-long rescue operation that kept the world on tenterhooks.

California firefighters: The heroes of the Golden State

The heroic firefighters in California witnessed the most destructive, deadliest, and largest wildfire season on record in the state this year, with a total of 8,527 fires burning an area of 1,893,913 acres, the largest amount of burned acreage recorded in a fire season, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection. With multiple casualties, they are still working to bring normalcy back in the latest regions affected in the wildfire.

Jim Acosta: The reporter who took on Trump

CNN journalist Jim Acosta and his organization took on President Donald Trump and the White House after the Trump administration revoked the reporter's press pass access.The White House banned Acosta in November after a heated exchange with the president during a press conference. However, CNN, in a rare move, sued the White House alleging violation of the First and Fifth Amendment rights, and partially won after a judge ruled Acosta's press access was to be temporarily restored.

Robert Mueller: The man who could take down the Trump presidency

Special Counsel Robert Mueller, who was named as the runner up for TIME 2018 Person of the year, has remained mostly silent about the mammoth investigation he is heading into a possible collusion between Russia and the Trump campaign. Mueller, although elusive, was arguably the most-talked-about man in 2018 as he gradually took down multiple close aides of President Donald Trump, including his personal lawyer, Michael Cohen, who now faces a prison sentence. Mueller remains significant in 2019 as the country is eying for his next major move in the probe.