sits at number five. about 800,000 federal employees furloughed. more than a million others forced to work without knowing they would get paid. the shutdown lasted for 16 days in october. the third longest shutdown in u.s. history, and standards and poors says it took $24 billion out of the u.s. economy. the high school dropout who worked his way into the most secretive computers in the u.s. intelligence as a defense contractor comes in at voter number four. edward snowden will go doyne history as the man who spilled the details of the classified surveillance program. he leaked documents that showed the nsa was bulk collecting phone records and e-mail and internet traffic of virtually all americans. some believe snowden is a hero. others are calling him a traitor. he was born in south africa, but he belongs to the world. nelson mandela s death is the third top story of 2013, according to those who voted on cnn dom.