President Obama has been awarded with the Nobel Peace Prize of year 2009. The news came as shock to many including Obama’s own administration. What is more surprising is the fact that the deadline for submitting nominations was February 1; just 11 days after Obama took over the presidency. It makes one wonder what is the criterion of awarding this prestigious prize?
President Obama is the third US president who has won this peace prize since it was introduced in 1901. Here’s a look at the American Presidents who have won the Nobel Peace Prize:
Theodore Roosevelt
Theodore Roosevelt was the first American president who won the Nobel Peace Prize for his important role to end the blood-spattered war between Japan and Russia, the two biggest economic giants of that time. He was awarded with the prize in 1906.
Woodrow Wilson
Woodrow Wilson was the second US President to win the peace award. He was awarded in 1919 for his efforts to establish League of Nations (a predecessor of United Nations) and as an acknowledgement of his Fourteen Point Peace Program. The Norwegian Nobel Committee said, “The President succeeded in bringing a design for a fundamental law of humanity into present-day international politics.”
Jimmy Carter won the Nobel Peace Prize as an ex-president for his efforts to bring peace in the world by his continuous negotiations with the world leaders for almost a decade. Carter also opposed Bush’s decision to march American armies towards Iraq and the prize was taken as a ‘signal of disapproval’ towards Bush administration’s decision.
President Obama is also the third African-American who has won a Nobel Prize. President Obama didn’t know about the award in advance. He got the news after the award was announced in Oslo when his secretary awoke him at 6 a.m. in the morning. No official comments have been made by the President yet. He will make an acceptance speech at the White House in the afternoon.
Obama won Nobal Peace Prize
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