The 2009 Nobel Prizes were awarded by the Nobel Foundation, based in Sweden. Six categories were awarded: Physics, Chemistry, Physiology or Medicine, Literature, Peace, and Economic Sciences.[1]
Nobel Week took place from December 6 to 12, including programming such as lectures, dialogues, and discussions. The award ceremony and banquet for the Peace Prize were scheduled in Oslo on December 10, while the award ceremony and banquet for all other categories were scheduled for the same day in Stockholm.[2][3]
Prizes
editPhysics
edit| Awardee(s) | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Charles K. Kao
(1933–2018) |
 Chinese
|
"for groundbreaking achievements concerning the transmission of light in fibers for optical communication" | [4] |
|
Willard S. Boyle
(1924–2011) |
 Canadian
|
"for the invention of an imaging semiconductor circuit—the CCD sensor" | |
|
George E. Smith
(b. 1930) |
 American
| ||
Chemistry
edit| Awardee(s) | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Venkatraman Ramakrishnan
(b. 1952) |
 British
|
"for studies of the structure and function of the ribosome" | [5] |
|
Thomas A. Steitz
(1940–2018) |
American
| ||
|
Ada E. Yonath
(b. 1939) |
 Israeli
| ||
Physiology or Medicine
edit| Awardee(s) | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Elizabeth H. Blackburn
(b. 1948) |
 Australia
|
"for the discovery of how chromosomes are protected by telomeres and the enzyme telomerase" | [6] |
|
Carol W. Greider
(b. 1961) |
United States
| ||
|
Jack W. Szostak
(b. 1952) |
Canada
| ||
Literature
edit| Awardee(s) | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Herta Müller
(b. 1953) |
 Germany
|
"who, with the concentration of poetry and the frankness of prose, depicts the landscape of the dispossessed" | [7] |
Peace
edit| Awardee(s) | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Barack Obama
(born 1961) |
United States
|
"for his extraordinary efforts to strengthen international diplomacy and cooperation between peoples." | [8] |
Economic Sciences
edit| Awardee(s) | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Elinor Ostrom
(1933–2012) |
United States
|
"for her analysis of economic governance, especially the commons" | [9] |
|
Oliver E. Williamson
(1932–2020) |
"for his analysis of economic governance, especially the boundaries of the firm" | ||
Controversies
editPeace
editThe Peace Prize's awarding to Obama drew widespread criticism on several counts. Polling data on American sentiments regarding its conferment were mixed, and several pointed out that Obama had only served nine months in the White House prior to receiving the prize and therefore it was undeserved or, at least, premature.[10] Opinion across the world, among citizens of different countries as well as many heads of state, was divided.[11] Many, such as those in the Los Angeles Times and The New York Times, saw it less as a celebration of Obama and more so a critique of the presidency of George W. Bush.[12][13] Peter Beinart of the Daily Beast called the decision a "farce"; Noam Chomsky said: "In defense of the committee, we might say that the achievement of doing nothing to advance peace places Obama on a considerably higher moral plane than some of the earlier recipients".[14][15] Some called the Nobel Foundation no longer credible.[16][17]
Later, through Obama's terms as president, public opinion among Americans regarding his deservingness for the prize waned.[18][19] Critics continued to cite the War on Terror as an indictment of his award's citation.[20][21] Some even called for it to be rescinded or returned.[22] Geil Lundestad, the former director of the Nobel Foundation up until 2014, said in his 2015 memoir that Obama failed to live up to the Nobel Committee's expectations.[23][24]
References
edit- ^ "All Nobel Prizes". NobelPrize.org. Retrieved 2024-12-10.
- ^ "The Nobel Peace Prize 2009". NobelPrize.org. Retrieved 2024-12-10.
- ^ "The Nobel Prize in Chemistry 2009". NobelPrize.org. Retrieved 2024-12-10.
- ^ "The Nobel Prize in Physics 2009". Nobel Foundation. Archived from the original on 8 October 2009. Retrieved 6 October 2009.
- ^ "The Nobel Prize in Chemistry 2009". Nobel Foundation. Archived from the original on 10 October 2009. Retrieved 7 October 2009.
- ^ "The Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine 2009". Nobel Foundation. Archived from the original on 8 October 2009. Retrieved 28 July 2007.
- ^ "Nobel Prize in Literature 2009". Nobel Foundation. Archived from the original on 11 October 2009. Retrieved 8 October 2009.
- ^ "The Nobel Peace Prize 2009". Nobel Foundation. Archived from the original on 2009-10-11. Retrieved 2022-03-02.
- ^ "The Sveriges Riksbank Prize in Economic Sciences in Memory of Alfred Nobel 2009". Nobel Foundation. Archived from the original on 2009-10-15. Retrieved 2009-10-12.
- ^ Jackson, David (October 20, 2009). "Poll: Most don't think Obama deserved Nobel award". USA Today. Retrieved December 31, 2009.
- ^ Joseph Weber (October 9, 2009). "Reaction to Obama's Nobel prize varies". The Washington Times.
- ^ "Obama and the Nobel: He loses by winning". Los Angeles Times. October 10, 2009. Archived from the original on October 11, 2009. Retrieved October 9, 2009.
- ^ Friedman, Thomas L. (October 11, 2009). "The Peace (Keepers) Prize". The New York Times. Retrieved October 11, 2009.
- ^ Beinart, Peter (October 9, 2009). "Obama's Nobel Farce". The Daily Beast. Archived from the original on October 11, 2009. Retrieved October 12, 2009.
- ^ "Hopes And Prospects" Archived February 13, 2010, at the Wayback Machine, Amnesty International Lecture given in Belfast, Northern Ireland, October 30, 2009
- ^ Gerson, Michael (October 9, 2009). "Obama's Nobel for Good Intentions". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on January 12, 2012. Retrieved December 31, 2009.
- ^ Wehner, Peter (October 9, 2009). "Another Slap at Bush – but He Can Take It". Commentary. Retrieved August 6, 2021.
- ^ Jackson, David (October 20, 2009). "Poll: Most don't think Obama deserved Nobel award". USA Today. Retrieved December 31, 2009.
- ^ Phillips, Jak (October 7, 2011). "Top 10 Obama Backlash Moments". Time. Retrieved August 6, 2021.
- ^ Steven Nelson (April 12, 2013). "Ron Paul: Bradley Manning Promotes Peace More Than Obama". US News. Retrieved May 4, 2013.
- ^ Chellaney, Brahma (June 5, 2012). "More war than peace: Nobel peace winner Obama's legacy". Hindustan Times. Retrieved May 4, 2013.
- ^ Chellaney, Brahma (January 18, 2017). "The Growing Campaign to Revoke Obama's Nobel Peace Prize". Hindustan Times. Retrieved December 11, 2018.
- ^ "Former Nobel secretary says Obama's peace prize didn't have desired effect". U.S. News & World Report. September 16, 2015. Retrieved September 16, 2015.
- ^ "Nobel director regretted Obama peace prize". The Local. September 16, 2015. Retrieved September 17, 2015.