Post date: Aug 08, 2013 10:54:26 PM
Former U.S. President Bill Clinton, Oprah Winfrey, and Gloria Steinem are among this year's recipients of the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
UNITED NATIONS (UNTV) - From Bill Clinton to Ernie Banks to Loretta Lynn, some of the most famous figures in American sports, politics and music were awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom on Thursday (August 08) by U.S. President Barack Obama.
The award is the highest U.S. civilian honor and to mark the 50th anniversary of the medal, Obama chose to honor a group of people who are household names to Americans.These are among the notable names on the president's Medal of Freedom list:
Clinton, president from 1993-2001, was cited for his work at the Clinton Foundationand its global effort to promote health and strengthen economies.
Oprah Winfrey, best known for creating the "Oprah Winfrey Show," the highly rated talk show, is also an actress who starred in the "Color Purple."
Gloria Steinem is a renowned writer and activist for women's equality, was a leader in the women's liberation movement, and co-founded Ms. magazine.
Lynn, a country music singer who was raised in the coalfields of Kentucky, was the subject of the movie "Coal Miner's Daughter" and was one of the genre's first major female stars in the early 1960s.
Arturo Sandoval is a celebrated jazz trumpeter, pianist, and composer. He has been awarded nine Grammy Awards and is widely considered one of the greatest living jazz artists.
Banks, famously dubbed "Mr. Cub" for his 19 years on the Chicago Cubs, played in 11 All-Star games, hit more than 500 home runs and has been in the Baseball Hall of Fame since 1977.
Ben Bradlee was editor of The Washington Post during the Watergate scandal that brought down President Richard Nixon in the 1970s. The Post was in the news this week when Amazon's Jeff Bezos purchased the struggling newspaper.
Others on the list included former Indiana Republican Senator Richard Lugar, the late Hawaii Democratic Senator Daniel Inouye, former North Carolina basketball coach Dean Smith, civil rights leader Cordy Tindell "C.T." Vivian, chemist Mario Molina and the late astronaut Sally K. Ride.