The 10 Most Important Teens of the Decade

Who says that teenagers can't change the world? These 10 teens made their mark on history this decade...for better or for worse. 1. Mark Zuckerberg By Sean Gallup for Getty Images News In 2004 at age 19, Mark launched the social networking site Facebook from his Harvard dorm room. Five years later, Facebook is the most popular socnet in the world, a testament to the fact that billion-dollar ideas come from people of all ages. 2. LeBron James By Stephen Dunn for Getty Images Sport At age 18, LeBron passed on a college career - not without controversy - to become the number one NBA Draft pick of 2003. That season he became the youngest player to be named Rookie of the Year and score 40 points in a game. The NBA introduced a rule two years later that requires high schoolers to wait a year after graduation before they'reeligible for the draft. 3. Taylor Swift By Frederick Breedon for Getty Images Entertainment After a decade of headlines about bad-girl icons like Britney Spears and Paris Hilton, Taylor emerged in 2006 at age 16 as a hard-working, philanthropic pop star who - gasp! - writes her own songs. She's proof that teen pop stars can actually live up to their expected jobs as role models. 4. Lauren Caitlin Upton By Ethan Miller for Getty Images Entertainment The 2007 South Carolina Miss Teen USA contestant became a YouTube sensation when she rambled a mostly incoherent pageant response about Americans' geography skills. The popularity of the clip sparked editorials about the the sad state of our education system and led to some severenational smugness. 5. Michael Phelps By Jeff Gross for Getty Images Sport Beginning in 2004 at age 19, Michael collected a total of 14 Olympic gold metals throughout the decade - the most of any Olympian - and is considered the greatest swimmer of all time . He started setting worldrecords in 2001 at the age of 15. 6. Juno By Scott Halleran for Getty Images Entertainment No, she's not a real person - but the protagonist of the 2007 film by the same name earns spot on the list for normalizing (and, some would say, glamorizing) the idea of teen pregnancy. A statistical rise in teen pregnancies the next year was dubbed "The Juno Effect." 7. Marc Hall Photo Courtesy of PriceGrabber In 2002, the Canadian teenager won a battle for gay rights when a court injunction ordered that he be allowed to go to his high school prom with his boyfriend - foreshadowing a string of gay rights victories in Canada as the decade progressed.Two years later, Marc's story was turned into a feature film called Prom Queen . 8. The Jena Six By Chris Graythen for Getty Images News In 2006, these six black teens were punished with what many considered to be overly harsh sentences after beating up a white classmate. The trial and subsequent congressional hearing sparked waves of racial protests across the country, elevating what might've been another schoolyard fightinto a national conversation about race. 9. Bristol Palin By Bryan Bedder for Getty Images Entertainment In 2008 at age 17, a pregnant Bristol found herself on the national stage when her mom, Sarah, was nominated the Republican vice presidential candidate. Bristol was held up bythe left as a symbol of the consequences of abstinence-only education. 10. Miley Cyrus By Kristian Dowling for Getty Images Entertainment As a 16-year old with a Disney show, movie deals and platinum albums, Miley reigned as one of the decade's biggest teen celebrities. At the peak of her star power, controversies like risqué pics and an adult boyfriend suggested that she hardly fit the saccharine-sweet reputation fit for a Disney star, and thisyear she was voted the worst celebrity influence of 2009.