Earvin “Magic Johnson, Denzel Washington and Other Notable Figures Receive Presidential Medal of Freedom

Data News Staff Edited Report President Joe Biden awarded 19 recipients the nation’s highest civilian honor on Jan. 4, 2025, recognizing their significant contributions across various fields. Honorees included former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, Controversial Philanthropist George Soros, Rock Star Bono, Actors Michael J. Fox and Denzel Washington, Chef José Andrés and Bill Nye the Science Guy. Sports Legends Lionel Messi and Magic Johnson were also among the recipients, though Messi was unable to attend due to scheduling conflicts. “You all literally embody the nation’s creed, e pluribus unum – out of many, one,” Biden told the recipients during the ceremony in the White House East Room. “You feed the hungry. You give hope to those who are hurting, and you craft the signs and sounds our movements and our memories.” Four Presidential Medal of Freedom honorees were recognized posthumously: former Defense Secretary Ash Carter, Civil Rights Activist Fannie Lou Hamer, former U.S. Attorney General and Senator Robert F. Kennedy, and former Michigan Gov. George W. Romney. The Presidential Medal of Freedom was established by Robert F. Kennedy’s brother, the late President John F. Kennedy, in 1963. According to the White House, the award is “presented to individuals who...