On January 4, 2025, President Biden awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom to 19 notable figures, including Hillary Clinton, Bono, and Denzel Washington. This ceremony marked Biden's final presentation of the prestigious honor during his presidency, recognizing contributions to American values and global peace.
The Presidential Medal of Freedom is the highest civilian honor in the U.S., established by President John F. Kennedy. It recognizes individuals for exemplary contributions to society, and Biden's administration has continued this tradition, honoring diverse figures from various fields.
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Denzel Hayes Washington Jr. is an American actor, director, and producer. He has received two Golden Globe awards, one Tony Award, and two Academy Awards: Best Supporting Actor for the historical war drama film Glory and Best Actor for his role as corrupt
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Paul David Hewson, KBE OL, known by his stage name Bono, is an Irish singer-songwriter, venture capitalist, businessman, and philanthropist. He is best known as the lead vocalist and primary lyricist of rock band U2.
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Joseph Robinette Biden Jr. is an American politician who is the 46th and current president of the United States. A member of the Democratic Party, he served as the 47th vice president from 2009 to 2017 and represented Delaware in the United States Senate
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Hillary Diane Rodham Clinton is an American politician, diplomat, lawyer, writer, and public speaker who served as the 67th United States Secretary of State from 2009 to 2013, as a United States Senator from New York from 2001 to 2009, and as First Lady o
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Robert Francis Kennedy, sometimes referred to by the initials RFK and occasionally Bobby, was an American politician and lawyer who served as the 64th United States Attorney General from January 1961 to September 1964, and as a U.S.
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George Soros, Hon FBA is a Hungarian-American billionaire investor and philanthropist. As of May 2020, he had a net worth of $8.3 billion, having donated more than $32 billion to the Open Society Foundations.
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Dame Anna Wintour DBE is a British-American journalist and editor who has been editor-in-chief of Vogue since 1988 and artistic director for Condé Nast, Vogue's publisher, since 2013.
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Michael Andrew Fox OC, known professionally as Michael J. Fox, is a Canadian-American actor, comedian, author, film producer, and activist with a film and television career spanning from the 1970s.
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Fannie Lou Hamer was an American voting and women's rights activist, community organizer, and a leader in the civil rights movement.
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Lionel Andrés Messi Cuccittini is an Argentine professional footballer who plays as a forward and captains both Spanish club Barcelona and the Argentina national team.
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Ralph Lauren is an American fashion designer, philanthropist, and billionaire businessman, best known for the Ralph Lauren Corporation, a global multibillion-dollar enterprise.
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Tim Gill is an American computer software programmer, entrepreneur, philanthropist, and LGBTQ rights activist. He was among the first openly gay people to be on the Forbes 400 list of America's richest people.
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The Presidential Medal of Freedom is an award bestowed by the president of the United States to recognize people who have made "an especially meritorious contribution to the security or national interests of the United States, world peace, cultural or oth
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The United States of America, commonly known as the United States or America, is a country mostly located in central North America, between Canada and Mexico.