President Barack Obama awarded the nation’s highest civilian honour to 21 groundbreaking actors, musicians, athletes and innovators who inspired him over the years.
The Presidential Medal of Freedom recognizes especially meritorious contributions to the national interests of the United States, its security and its culture.
In the film world, Mr. Obama honoured Tom Hanks, Robert De Niro, Robert Redford and Cicely Tyson.
Michael Jordan and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, two of the greatest basketball players ever, were also among the honorees. Bruce Springsteen and Diana Ross were recognised for their music.
Other honorees included philanthropists Bill and Melinda Gates, comedian Ellen DeGeneres and broadcaster Vin Scully.
Posthumous honours went to Native American advocate Elouise Cobell and Rear Adm. Grace Hopper.
Others receiving the award included Richard Garwin, an inventor and polymath physicist who made pioneering contributions to the nation’s defense; Frank Gehry, one of the world’s leading architects; Margaret H. Hamilton, a mathematician and computer scientist; Maya Lin, the designer of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial; Lorne Michaels, producer of Saturday Night Live ; Newton Minow, a former Federal Communications Commission chairman devoted to numerous public and charitable causes, and Eduardo Padron, president of Miami Dade College.