The 25 Most Intriguing People 2001
50 GEORGE W. BUSH acted decisively in the wake of the September 11 attacks, winning the confidence of his countrymen
52 MAYOR RUDY GIULIANI pushed aside personal woes to take charge of his beloved New York City
54 THE FIREFIGHTER redefined the words bravery, compassion and dedication
56 JULIA ROBERTS won her first Oscar, starred in three movies and weathered a turbulent year on the romantic front
58 HARRY POTTER cast a powerful spell on his fans, luring them into the multiplex in record numbers
60 NICOLE KIDMAN rebounded gracefully from a shattered marriage and earned raves for her film roles
63 PRINCE HARRY emerged from his brother's shadow to become his own young man
64 MARIAH CAREY suffered a public breakdown after poor record sales and boyfriend troubles
66 GARY CONDIT decided to run for reelection despite unanswered questions about his relationship with a missing Washington intern
68 THE CAST OF FRIENDS helped us muddle through these troubling times by providing reassurance, reliability and comic relief
70 MADONNA sang and danced all summer to sellout crowds, proof that middle age hasn't dimmed her star
73 DAVID LETTERMAN led the way to the new normalcy after the events that shook New York City
74 BARRY BONDS slugged his way into baseball's record books with an astounding 73 home runs
77 KELLY RIPA filled the pumps of Kathie Lee Gifford and pumped new energy into TV's morning chatfest with Regis Philbin
79 JOHN EDWARD helped believers contact departed loved ones, while skeptics questioned his psychic gifts
80 DENNIS TITO proved money can buy everything—even a trip to outer space
82 KIM CATTRALL proudly showed fortysomething women how to stay sexy
86 JONATHAN FRANZEN, author of The Corrections, won Oprah's seal of approval—then her disapproval
89 LISA BEAMER, a September 11 widow, went from victim to victor, living by her hero husband Todd's last words, "Let's roll"
90 JAMES THOMSON pioneered stem-cell research, then saw his work become the subject of a heated national debate
92 CONDOLEEZZA RICE gained an increasingly prominent role in the Bush Administration's inner circle
94 KATIE COURIC, whose Today show contract expires in May, weighed job offers while coping with her sister's death
96 REESE WITHERSPOON broke out from the pack in the summer charmer Legally Blonde
99 DIANA KRALL offered old standards in elegant new packaging and rang up record sales for a jazz CD
100 MEL BROOKS returned to the pop-culture pinnacle with a Broadway blockbuster
4 MAILBAG
6 ONLINE
8 INSIDE PEOPLE
16 PICKS & PANS Everybody into the act: Wayne Brady, other celebs and PEOPLE critics name the best TV shows, movies, CDs and books of 2001
102 PANIC AND PATRIOTISM: PICTURES WE'LL NEVER FORGET Witnesses recount the events of Sept. 11—and the aftermath
110 SEQUELS Catching up with Suzanne Somers, injured Olympic skier Bill Johnson, ex-Republican Sen. Jim Jeffords and others
130 BREAKTHROUGHS
Promising debuts included those made by Alicia Keys, Nelly and Jennifer Garner
140 TRIBUTES George Harrison, Jack Lemmon and Aaliyah are just a few of those remembered affectionately by their friends
150 PUZZLER
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