Presidential medal of freedom award winners honoured at the White House

12 August 2009: Barack Obama presented 16 people with America's highest civilian honour at the White House

  • Barack Obama presents the presidential medal of freedom to Joe Medicine Crow. Joe Medicine Crow is the last living war chief of America's Great Plains
    Barack Obama presents the presidential medal of freedom to Joe Medicine Crow during a ceremony at the White House

  • Cambridge University physicist Stephen Hawking receives the medal of freedom from Obama
    Barack Obama presents the medal of freedom to physicist Stephen Hawking at the White House

  • Archbishop Desmond Tutu is presented with the presidential medal of freedom
    Archbishop Desmond Tutu is presented with the presidential medal of freedom by Barack Obama at the White House

  • Mary Robinson, the former president of Ireland, as she receives the presidential medal of freedom
    Barack Obama presents the medal of freedom to Mary Robinson, the former Irish president

  • Barack Obama presents the medal of freedom to retired supreme court justice Sandra Day O'Connor at the White House
    Barack Obama presents the medal of freedom to retired supreme court justice Sandra Day O'Connor at the White House

  • Barack Obama hugs actor Sidney Poitier after giving the actor the presidential medal of freedom. Poitier was the first African-American to win an Oscar for best actor
    Barack Obama hugs actor Sidney Poitier after presenting him with the presidential medal of freedom at the White House

  • Barack Obama presents the medal of freedom to tennis legend Billie Jean King. King won 12 Grand Slam titles during her career
    Barack Obama presents the medal of freedom to tennis legend Billie Jean King at the White House

  • Microloan pioneer Muhammad Yunus shakes Obama's hand after receiving the presidential medal of freedom
    Barack Obama presents the presidential medal of freedom to Muhammad Yunus at the White House

  • Barack Obama presents the presidential medal of freedom to Nancy Goodman Brinker, the founder of Susan G Komen for the Cure. The organisation is the world's leading breast cancer grassroots group and is named after Brinker's sister
    Barack Obama presents the presidential medal of freedom to Nancy Goodman Brinker, the founder of Susan G Komen for the Cure, the world's leading breast cancer grassroots organisation named for Brinker's sister

  • Barack Obama presents the presidential medal of freedom to actor, singer and dancer Chita Rivera
    Barack Obama presents the presidential medal of freedom to actress, singer and dancer Chita Rivera at the White House

  • Miami physician Dr Pedro Jose Greer Jr is awarded the presidential medal of freedom. Greer founded organisations that provide medical care to the poor
    Dr Pedro Jose Greer Jr is awarded the presidential medal of freedom by Barack Obama at the White House
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