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On 12th August 2009, Professor Stephen Hawking, (CH, CBE, FRS, PhD) the Cambridge University physicist, was awarded America’s highest civilian honor – the Presidential Medal of Freedom. The award was presented to him by President Barak Obama at a special ceremony held at the East Room, the largest room in the White House.

Stephen Hawking is not only well known because of his contribution to theoretical physics, but is also a familiar figure around the world as we regularly see him on our T.V. screens in his wheelchair, speaking with the aid of a speech synthesizer. Stephen has a neuro muscular dystrophy that is related to Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), a form of motor neuron disease. This condition has progressed over the years and has left him almost completely paralysed.

There were sixteen people honored with the Medal of Freedom, see the full list of names below. Here are the exact words spoken by President Obama when specifically honoring Stephen Hawking, as released from the official White House Press Secretary.

THE WHITE HOUSE
Office of the Press Secretary
12th August 2009

 ‘’Professor Stephen Hawking was a brilliant man and a mediocre student — (laughter) — when he lost his balance and tumbled down a flight of stairs. Diagnosed with a rare disease and told he had just a few years to live, he chose to live with new purpose. And happily, in the four decades since, he has become one of the world’s leading scientists. His work in theoretical physics — which I will not attempt to explain further here — (laughter) — has advanced our understanding of the universe. His popular books have advanced the cause of science itself. From his wheelchair, he’s led us on a journey to the farthest and strangest reaches of the cosmos. In so doing, he has stirred our imagination and shown us the power of the human spirit here on Earth’’.

Recipients of the 2009 Presidential Medal of Freedom
Stephen Hawking
Nancy Goodman Brinker
Pedro Jose Greer, Jr
Jack Kemp
Senator Edward M Kennedy
Billie Jean King
Reverend Joseph Lowery
Joe Medicine Crow – High Bird
Harvey Milk
Sandra Day O’Connor
Sidney Poitier
Chita Rivera
Mary Robinson
Janet Davison Rowley
Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu
Muhammad Yunus