President Joe Biden has awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest US civilian honour, to 19 individuals including British conservationist Dame Jane Goodall, U2 frontman Bono, and Vogue editor-in-chief Anna Wintour. The medals were presented on Saturday for what the White House described as 'exemplary contributions to the prosperity, values or security of the United States, world peace, or other significant societal, public or private endeavours'.
Dame Jane Goodall, 90, is globally recognised as the foremost authority on chimpanzees. She was made a dame in 2004 and received the Templeton Prize in 2021, worth over £1 million. Bono, whose real name is Paul David Hewson, has been honoured for his campaigning against poverty and support for HIV and Aids initiatives, particularly in Africa. He previously received an honorary knighthood in 2007 and was named Time Magazine's Person of the Year in 2005.
Other recipients include actor Denzel Washington and Michael J. Fox, known for his role in the Back to the Future films and his advocacy for Parkinson's disease research. The ceremony marks one of President Biden's final official acts before leaving office, as the next Medal of Freedom ceremony will be presided over by President-elect Donald Trump.
