Biden named 17 recipients of the Presidential Medal of Freedom, and the late tech innovator is one of them. For the unversed, the Presidential Medal of Freedom is declared the Nation’s highest civilian honor. The award is presented to individuals who have made exemplary contributions to the prosperity, values, or security of the United States, world peace, or other significant societal, public, or private endeavors. “These seventeen Americans demonstrate the power of possibilities and embody the soul of the nation – hard work, perseverance, and faith,” the White House said in a statement. “They have overcome significant obstacles to achieve impressive accomplishments in the arts and sciences, dedicated their lives to advocating for the most vulnerable among us, and acted with bravery to drive change in their communities – and across the world – while blazing trails for generations to come.” Steve Jobs, who was born on February 24, 1955, was the co-founder, chief executive, and chair of Apple, Inc., CEO of Pixar, and held a leading role at the Walt Disney Company. He co-founded Apple with Steve Wozniak in 1976 bringing a change in the way people viewed computers. Jobs is widely recognized as a pioneer of the personal computer revolution of the 1970s and 1980s. In 2003, Jobs was diagnosed with a pancreatic neuroendocrine tumor, a rare form of pancreatic cancer. He died of respiratory arrest related to the tumor on October 5, 2011, at the age of 56. “His vision, imagination and creativity led to inventions that have, and continue to, change the way the world communicates, as well as transforming the computer, music, film and wireless industries” the White House added. Besides Jobs, the list of notable Americans who will receive the honor, includes Olympic gymnast Simone Biles, former Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords, the late Sen. John McCain, World Cup, and Olympic soccer champion Megan Rapinoe, and actor Denzel Washington. You can check out the full list here. The awards are scheduled to be presented in a ceremony at the White House on Thursday, July 7, 2022.
