The top 10 heroes of 2014

Pope Francis

This year was meant to be a tricky one for Pope Francis after a triumphant 2013. But the new pontiff made his "difficult second album" look easy as he quietly went about his business, brokering a deal which could normalise relations between Cuba and the US, touring the Middle East to foster ties with Muslims and Jews, working towards healing the 1,000-year estrangement with the Orthodox Churches and pledging to hold Catholic bishops accountable for failing to protect children. On his birthday, people tangoed in the popular Pope's honour.

Jennifer Lawrence

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In August, a massive online security breach gave hackers access to intimate photographs of a number of stars, including actress Jennifer Lawrence. After the pictures were released on the controversial picture-sharing platform 4chan, Lawrence refused to play the victim, insisting that the leak was "not a scandal. It is a sex crime. It is a sexual violation. The law needs to be changed, and we need to change." Some commentators described Lawrence as the embodiment of contemporary feminism, advocating body positivity and gender equality while refusing to play it safe in the media.

Malala Yousafzai

The youngest ever recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize is also one of its most self-assured. Undaunted by her sudden rise to fame, Yousafzai has toured the world addressing huge gatherings and working tirelessly to advocate for female education. In 2014 she was also awarded an honorary doctorate and was named "the identity of Pakistan" by Angela Merkel. In November Yousafzai hinted that she might one day consider becoming prime minister of Pakistan.

The Ebola workers

Collectively named as Time magazine's Person of the Year, the disparate teams of workers fighting the ongoing Ebola epidemic in Guinea, Sierra Leone and Liberia have undertaken the task of holding back one of the world's most virulent diseases at considerable personal risk. Anyone willing to treat Ebola victims "ran the risk of becoming one" Time said. The "special forces" of Medecins Sans Frontieres and Samaritan's Purse and numerous volunteers are currently working alongside local doctors, nurses, ambulance drivers and burial teams to try to prevent the spread of a disease that continues to ravage several countries in West Africa.

Tim Cook

Being the CEO of one of the best known companies in the world and trying to maintain a private life would be a challenge for anyone. But even more difficult is heading a technology empire that was built as a quasi-personality cult to its former CEO, Steve Jobs. So when Apple chief executive Tim Cook came out in October, it was more than just a personal decision. In a moving letter published in Bloomberg Businessweek, Cook described the portraits of Martin Luther King and Robert F Kennedy he keeps on his desk for inspiration. "I don't pretend that writing this puts me in their league," he said. "All it does is allow me to look at those pictures and know that I'm doing my part, however small, to help others. We pave the sunlit path toward justice together, brick by brick. This is my brick."

Alan Henning

On 3 October Alan Henning, a Salford taxi driver, was murdered by Islamic State fighters in a video that was subsequently posted online. The 47-year-old had been kidnapped in December 2013 while delivering aid to refugees caught up in the Syrian civil war. One of his friends, Majid Freeman described him as a "selfless, humble, courageous individual" who had wanted nothing but to help others.

Stephen Sutton

Teenage cancer sufferer Stephen Sutton was catapulted into the spotlight when he posted a selfie from his sickbed smiling broadly in what The Guardian described as "a simple, understated display of cheerful defiance". Sutton had set himself a fundraising target of £10,000 for the Teenage Cancer Trust, but ended up raising £5m. After doctors gave him a bleak prognosis, Sutton decided that he would take on a new attitude to his remaining days: "I don't see the point in measuring life in time any more. I would rather measure it in terms of what I actually achieve. I'd rather measure it in terms of making a difference, which I think is a much more valid and pragmatic measure."

Emma Watson

In the internet age, anyone who attempts to stand up for a principle will soon find themselves on the receiving end of online bile, if not explicit death and rape threats. Such was the case when Harry Potter star and UN goodwill ambassador Emma Watson reaffirmed her commitment to feminism in a speech to the UN. A particularly ugly backlash followed, in which a hoax site threatened to release intimate photos of the actress. Through it all Watson maintained her composure and continued her work for the HeForShe campaign advocating for gender equality.

Pete Frates and Pat Quinn

Justin Bieber, Cristiano Ronaldo, Oprah Winfrey, Britney Spears, Ashton Kutcher, Eva Longoria, Steven Spielberg, Iggy Azalea, Mark Zuckerberg, Katy Perry, and (probably) most people reading this article got swept up in the ice bucket challenge this year – an ingenious online campaign to raise money for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, a disease similar to multiple sclerosis. Pete Frates, who was diagnosed with ALS, and Pat Quinn dreamed up the idea for the ice bucket challenge which spread like wildfire, bringing in more than $41.8 million in donations from July 29 until August 21, the New York Times says.

Gordon Brown

The former arch-villain of UK politics experienced a stunning reversal of political fortunes this year after his late intervention in the Scottish independence referendum helped the Better Together campaign over the line. Brown's passionate speech in defence of the Union was watched by hundreds of thousands of people online and was widely viewed as one the decisive moments of the campaign. Those who had already written Brown's political epitaph were forced to start again – just in time for the Labour stalwart to step down from front-line politics.