On a very cold Saturday afternoon, President Joe Biden presented the Presidential Medal of Freedom to 19 of the most well-known figures in politics, sports, entertainment, civil rights, LGBTQ+ activism, and science in the White House's East Room.

Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton received a standing ovation from the audience as she accepted her honor. Clinton was joined at the occasion by her husband, former President Bill Clinton, daughter Chelsea Clinton, and grandchildren. In a White House event, Democratic benefactor George Soros and actor-director Denzel Washington received the nation's highest civilian accolade.

Four medals were awarded posthumously. They went to George W. Romney, who was both Michigan governor and secretary of housing and urban development; former Attorney General and Senator Robert F. Kennedy; Ash Carter, a former secretary of defense; and Fannie Lou Hamer, who founded the Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party and laid the groundwork for the 1965 Voting Rights Act.

Major benefactors have received the prize include Spanish-American chef José Andrés, whose World Central Kitchen charity has become one of the world's most well-known food assistance organizations, and Bono, the frontman for rock band U2 and a social justice crusader.

Professional soccer player Lionel Messi, who did not attend the event; retired Los Angeles Lakers basketball legend and businessman Earvin "Magic" Johnson; actor Michael J. Fox, who is an outspoken advocate for Parkinson's disease research and development; and William Sanford Nye, known to generations of students as "Bill Nye the Science Guy."

Other honorees include conservationist Jane Goodall, longstanding Vogue Magazine editor-in-chief Anna Wintour, American fashion designer Ralph Lauren, American Film Institute founder George Stevens Jr., and entrepreneur.