Stephen Hawking to receive Medal of Freedom from Barack Obama

September 30th, 2009 Hawking to step down as Lucasian professorLONDON — Physicist Stephen Hawking is stepping down as Lucasian Professor of Mathematics at Cambridge University. The roughly 350-year-old post has been held by such luminaries as Isaac Newton and Charles Babbage, one of the fathers of modern computing.

September 30th, 2009 Hawking steps down as Lucasian professor in UKLONDON — Physicist Stephen Hawking stepped down Wednesday as Lucasian Professor of Mathematics at Cambridge University after 30 years in the post. The roughly 350-year-old position has been held by such luminaries as Isaac Newton and Charles Babbage, one of the fathers of modern computing.

August 13th, 2009 WASHINGTON - US President Barack Obama bestowed the highest US civilian honour to Archbishop Desmond Tutu and US Senator Edward Kennedy and 14 others at the White House Wednesday. "Let them stand as an example here in the US and around the world of what we can achieve in our lives," Obama said during a ceremony to hand out the Medal of Freedom.

August 12th, 2009 Crow Chief receives Medal of FreedomWASHINGTON — A 95-year-old Crow Indian who went into battle wearing war paint under his World War II uniform has been awarded the nation's highest civilian honor. Wearing a traditional headdress, Joe Medicine Crow on Wednesday received the Presidential Medal of Freedom at the White House.

August 12th, 2009 Obama honors activists, actors, athletes, othersWASHINGTON — President Barack Obama awarded the nation's highest civilian honor to 16 "agents of change" on Wednesday, highlighting their accomplishments as examples of the heights a person can reach and the difference they can make in the lives of others. "What unites them is a belief ...

July 1st, 2009 Britain unveils new medal to families of army deadLONDON — Britain unveiled a new medal Wednesday that will be offered to families of about 8,000 military personnel killed on active duty or in terrorist attacks since World War II. The nearest kin of military personnel killed in Northern Ireland, the Falklands, Iraq and Afghanistan will be among those eligible to receive the Elizabeth Cross, which is named after the reigning monarch.

June 17th, 2009 LONDON - A team of physicists have created an artificial black hole in their lab that traps sound instead of light, in an attempt to detect the theoretical Hawking radiation. The radiation, proposed by physicist Stephen Hawking more than 30 years ago, causes black holes to evaporate over time.

April 27th, 2009 TEHRAN - Iran President Mohammad Ahmadinejad has said that he is yet to receive a response to his congratulatory message to US President Barack Obama. "This was a major decision, although the Iranian people were very much dismayed with the conduct of previous U.S.

April 24th, 2009 Hero dog's World War II medal sold in UK auctionLONDON — A medal awarded to a dog who sniffed out survivors in rubble of the Blitz was sold at auction in London on Friday for 24,250 pounds ($35,700.) The buyer at the sale at Spink auctioneers chose to remain anonymous. The sale price was 10,000 pounds higher than the estimate, and beat the previous record of 23,000 pounds for the Dickin Medal awarded to Simon, the ship's cat on HMS Amethyst.

April 24th, 2009 Hero dog's medal sold in UK auctionLONDON — A medal awarded to a dog who sniffed out scores of survivors in rubble of the Blitz was sold at auction Friday for 24,250 pounds ($35,700.) Auctioneers said the buyer chose to remain anonymous. The sale price was 10,000 pounds higher than the estimate.

April 24th, 2009 Hero dog's medal sold at UK auction for $35,700LONDON — A medal awarded to a dog who sniffed out scores of survivors in rubble of the Blitz was sold at auction Friday for 24,250 pounds ($35,700.) Auctioneers said the buyer chose to remain anonymous. The sale price was 10,000 pounds higher than the estimate.

April 21st, 2009 LONDON - British physicist Stephen Hawking is expected to make a 'full recovery' after undergoing a series of tests in a hospital in Cambridge, a spokesman for Cambridge University said Tuesday. The 67-year-old scientist, who is wheelchair-bound and speaks with the help of a voice synthesizer as a result of a motor neuron disease, was rushed to hospital Monday and described as being 'very ill'.

April 20th, 2009 LONDON - British physicist Stephen Hawking, the world-renowned author of 'A Brief History of Time', was admitted to hospital in the university city of Cambridge Monday where he was described as being 'very ill'. The 67-year-old scientist, who is wheelchair-bound and speaks with the help of a voice synthesiser as a result of motor neurone disease, was taken to hospital for tests.

January 5th, 2009 LONDON - A royal medal that was rejected by the late Beatle John Lennon has been found nearly 40 years after the famous act of defiance, prompting his fans to call for it to be put on public display. Lennon's MBE medal was found in a cabinet at the Chancery Department of the Royal Household where it has lain untouched for years since being returned to the Queen Nov 25, 1969.

January 5th, 2009 LONDON - Former British premier Tony Blair is to be presented with one of America's highest civilian honours but is yet to pick up a Congressional gold medal awarded to him in 2003. Blair will be awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom Jan 13 along with President Alvaro Uribe of Colombia, and former premier John Howard of Australia.