In one of his final acts in office, Barack Obama selected key figures in sports, entrepreneurship, philanthropy, activism, academia and entertainment among the 21 people who will be awarded the 2016 Presidential Medal of Freedom – the highest civilian honor in the US. Obama will present recipients including rocker Bruce Springsteen, Motown soul singer Diana Ross, former basketball champions Michael Jordan and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and actors Tom Hanks, Robert De Niro and Robert Redford with the medal at a White House ceremony on 22 November, the White House said on Wednesday. The group also includes several not so well known Americans, such as late Native American community leader Elouise Cobell and Nasa moon landing computer scientist Margaret H Hamilton. Obama leaves office in January after eight years, following the election of Republican businessman Donald Trump. Previous recipients of the medal from Obama include baseball champion Yogi Berra, singer-songwriter Bob Dylan, director Steven Spielberg and former US secretary of state Madeleine Albright.

Source: The Guardian November 16, 2016 21:45 UTC