United States President Barack Obama has awarded the Medal of Freedom to 16 people he described as "agents of change" in their respective fields.
Archbishop Desmond Tutu and physicist Stephen Hawking were among those who received the nation's highest civilian honour at the White House.
Tennis champion Billie Jean King, civil rights leader Joseph Lowery, actor Sidney Poitier and former Irish President Mary Robinson were also honoured.
Veteran US Senator Edward Kennedy, who has brain cancer, was among the recipients but was too ill to attend.
Mr Obama gave posthumous medals to Harvey Milk, the first openly gay person elected to office in a major American city and Senator Jack Kemp, the Republican nominee for vice-president in 1997.
