U.S. President Barack Obama awarded the nation's highest civilian honor - - to 16 Americans in a ceremony at the White House on Wednesday.
One of Obama's predecessors, John F. Kennedy, established the award 50 years ago to honor those who have made outstanding contributions to the security or national interests of the United States, to world peace, or to other significant public or private endeavors.
The recipients this year include former president Bill Clinton, Country music legend Loretta Lynn, renowned women's rights activist Gloria Steinem and television icon Oprah Winfrey.
Obama said this year's honorees have been blessed with extraordinary talent. But he said what sets them apart is their gift for sharing that talent with the world.
Three of the 16 Medals of Freedom were awarded posthumously.
The recipients are:
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Known to many as “Mr. Cub,” Ernie Banks is one of the greatest American baseball players. During his 19 seasons with the Chicago Cubs, he played in 11 All-Star Games, hit more than 500 home runs, and became the first National League player to win Most Valuable Player honors in back-to-back years. He was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1977, his first year of eligibility.
During his 23-year tenure as executive editor of The Washington Post newspaper, Ben Bradlee oversaw some of the most ground-breaking news stories. He led the newspaper's coverage of the Watergate scandal, which forced President Richard Nixon from office. He also successfully challenged the federal government over the right to publish the Pentagon Papers, a top-secret study of the Vietnam War.
Bill Clinton was the 42nd president of the United States. Before taking office, he served as governor and attorney seneral of the southern state of Arkansas. Following his second term, Clinton established the Clinton Foundation to improve global health, strengthen economies, promote health and wellness, and protect the environment.
Daniel Inouye was the first Japanese American to serve in Congress, representing the people of Hawaii from the moment they joined the Union in 1959. As a young man, he fought in World War II with the 442nd Regimental Combat Team, for which he received the Medal of Honor. He was later elected to the Hawaii Territorial House of Representatives, the United States House of Representatives, and the United States Senate.
Daniel Kahneman is a pioneering scholar of psychology. After escaping Nazi occupation in World War II, Kahneman immigrated to Israel, where he served in the Israel Defense Forces and trained as a psychologist. Alongside Amos Tversky, he applied cognitive psychology to economic analysis, laying the foundation for a new field of research and earning the Nobel Prize in Economics in 2002. He is currently a professor at Princeton University.
Richard Lugar represented Indiana in the United States Senate for more than 30 years. An internationally respected statesman, he is best known for his bipartisan leadership and decades-long commitment to reducing the threat of nuclear weapons. Prior to serving in Congress, Lugar was a Rhodes Scholar and mayor of Indianapolis from 1968 to 1975. He currently serves as president of the Lugar Center.
Loretta Lynn is a country music legend. Raised in rural Kentucky, she emerged as one of the first successful female country music vocalists in the early 1960s, courageously breaking barriers in an industry long dominated by men. Lynn’s numerous accolades include the Kennedy Center Honors in 2003 and the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 2010.
Mario Molina won the 1995 Nobel Prize in Chemistry for discovering how chlorofluorocarbons deplete the ozone layer. Born in Mexico, Molina came to the U.S. to pursue his graduate degree. He is a professor at the University of California, San Diego; director of the Mario Molina Center for Energy and Environment; and a member of the President’s Council of Advisers on Science and Technology.
Sally Ride was the first American female astronaut to travel to space. As a role model to generations of young women, she advocated passionately for science education, stood up for racial and gender equality in the classroom, and taught students from every background that there are no limits to what they can accomplish. Ride also served in several administrations as an adviser on space exploration.