2009 Nobel Prizes
{{Short description|none}}
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.{{Cite web |title=All Nobel Prizes |url=https://www.nobelprize.org/prizes/lists/all-nobel-prizes/2009-2000/ |access-date=2024-12-10 |website=NobelPrize.org |language=en-US}}
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.{{Cite web |title=The Nobel Peace Prize 2009 |url=https://www.nobelprize.org/prizes/peace/2009/award-video/ |access-date=2024-12-10 |website=NobelPrize.org |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |title=The Nobel Prize in Chemistry 2009 |url=https://www.nobelprize.org/prizes/chemistry/2009/award-video/ |access-date=2024-12-10 |website=NobelPrize.org |language=en-US}}
Prizes
= Physics =
| class="wikitable"
|+ ! colspan="5" |Awardee(s) |
| 88x88px
(1933–2018) |{{flagdeco|China}} Chinese {{flagdeco|United Kingdom}} British |"for groundbreaking achievements concerning the transmission of light in fibers for optical communication" | rowspan="3" |{{cite web |title=The Nobel Prize in Physics 2009 |url=http://nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/physics/laureates/2009/index.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091008215314/http://nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/physics/laureates/2009/index.html |archive-date=8 October 2009 |access-date=6 October 2009 |publisher=Nobel Foundation}} |
| 105x105px
(1924–2011) |{{flagdeco|Canada}} Canadian | rowspan="2" |"for the invention of an imaging semiconductor circuit—the CCD sensor" |
| 106x106px
(b. 1930) |{{flagdeco|United States}} American |
= Chemistry =
| class="wikitable"
! colspan="5" |Awardee(s) |
| 111x111px
(b. 1952) |{{flagdeco|United Kingdom}} British {{flagdeco|United States}} American | rowspan="3" |"for studies of the structure and function of the ribosome" |
| 118x118px
(1940–2018) |{{flagdeco|United States}} American |
| 84x84px
(b. 1939) |{{flagdeco|Israel}} Israeli |
= Physiology or Medicine =
| class="wikitable"
! colspan="5" |Awardee(s) |
| 90x90px
(b. 1948) |{{flag|Australia}} {{flag|United States}} | rowspan="3" |"for the discovery of how chromosomes are protected by telomeres and the enzyme telomerase" |
| 100x100px
(b. 1961) |{{flag|United States}} |
| 108x108px
(b. 1952) |{{flag|Canada}} {{flag|United States}} |
= Literature =
{{Main page|2009 Nobel Prize in Literature}}
| class="wikitable"
! colspan="4" |Awardee(s) ! |
| 113x113px
(b. 1953) |{{flag|Germany}} {{flag|Romania}} |"who, with the concentration of poetry and the frankness of prose, depicts the landscape of the dispossessed" |
= Peace =
{{Main page|2009 Nobel Peace Prize}}
| class="wikitable"
! colspan="5" |Awardee(s) |
| 111x111px
(born 1961) |{{Flag|United States}} |"for his extraordinary efforts to strengthen international diplomacy and cooperation between peoples." |
= Economic Sciences =
| class="wikitable"
! colspan="5" |Awardee(s) |
| 112x112px
(1933–2012) | rowspan="2" |{{flag|United States}} |"for her analysis of economic governance, especially the commons" |
| 113x113px
(1932–2020) |"for his analysis of economic governance, especially the boundaries of the firm" |
Controversies
= Peace =
{{Main page|Nobel Prize controversies#Peace}}
The 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.{{cite news |last=Jackson |first=David |date=October 20, 2009 |title=Poll: Most don't think Obama deserved Nobel award |url=http://content.usatoday.com/communities/theoval/post/2009/10/620000171/1 |access-date=December 31, 2009 |work=USA Today}} Opinion across the world, among citizens of different countries as well as many heads of state, was divided.{{cite news |author=Joseph Weber |date=October 9, 2009 |title=Reaction to Obama's Nobel prize varies |url=http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2009/oct/09/reaction-obamas-nobel-prize-varies/ |newspaper=The Washington Times}} 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.{{cite news |date=October 10, 2009 |title=Obama and the Nobel: He loses by winning |url=http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/editorials/la-ed-nobel10-2009oct10,0,1431554.story |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091011103326/http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/editorials/la-ed-nobel10-2009oct10%2C0%2C1431554.story |archive-date=October 11, 2009 |access-date=October 9, 2009 |work=Los Angeles Times}}{{cite news |last=Friedman |first=Thomas L. |date=October 11, 2009 |title=The Peace (Keepers) Prize |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/11/opinion/11friedman.html |access-date=October 11, 2009 |work=The New York Times}} 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".{{cite news |last=Beinart |first=Peter |date=October 9, 2009 |title=Obama's Nobel Farce |url=http://www.thedailybeast.com/blogs-and-stories/2009-10-09/obamas-nobel-farce/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091011105341/http://www.thedailybeast.com/blogs-and-stories/2009-10-09/obamas-nobel-farce/ |archive-date=October 11, 2009 |access-date=October 12, 2009 |publisher=The Daily Beast}}[http://chomsky.info/talks/20091030.htm "Hopes And Prospects"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100213162101/http://chomsky.info/talks/20091030.htm|date=February 13, 2010}}, Amnesty International Lecture given in Belfast, Northern Ireland, October 30, 2009 Some called the Nobel Foundation no longer credible.{{cite news |last=Gerson |first=Michael |date=October 9, 2009 |title=Obama's Nobel for Good Intentions |url=http://voices.washingtonpost.com/postpartisan/2009/10/obamas_nobel_for_good_intentio.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120112211731/http://voices.washingtonpost.com/postpartisan/2009/10/obamas_nobel_for_good_intentio.html |archive-date=January 12, 2012 |access-date=December 31, 2009 |newspaper=The Washington Post}}{{cite magazine |last=Wehner |first=Peter |date=October 9, 2009 |title=Another Slap at Bush – but He Can Take It |url=https://www.commentary.org/peter-wehner/another-slap-at-bush-but-he-can-take-it/ |access-date=August 6, 2021 |magazine=Commentary}}
Later, through Obama's terms as president, public opinion among Americans regarding his deservingness for the prize waned.{{cite news |last=Jackson |first=David |date=October 20, 2009 |title=Poll: Most don't think Obama deserved Nobel award |url=http://content.usatoday.com/communities/theoval/post/2009/10/620000171/1 |access-date=December 31, 2009 |work=USA Today}}{{cite magazine |last=Phillips |first=Jak |date=October 7, 2011 |title=Top 10 Obama Backlash Moments |url=https://content.time.com/time/specials/packages/completelist/0,29569,1929415,00.html |access-date=August 6, 2021 |magazine=Time}} Critics continued to cite the War on Terror as an indictment of his award's citation.{{cite web |author=Steven Nelson |date=April 12, 2013 |title=Ron Paul: Bradley Manning Promotes Peace More Than Obama |url=https://www.usnews.com/news/articles/2013/04/12/ron-paul-bradley-manning-deserves-nobel-peace-prize-more-than-barack-obama |access-date=May 4, 2013 |work=US News}}{{cite web |last=Chellaney |first=Brahma |date=June 5, 2012 |title=More war than peace: Nobel peace winner Obama's legacy |url=https://www.hindustantimes.com/analysis/more-war-than-peace-nobel-peace-winner-obama-s-legacy/story-uaDiBjw9hqVNZ2qMYZKzQJ.html |access-date=May 4, 2013 |work=Hindustan Times}} Some even called for it to be rescinded or returned.{{cite web |last=Chellaney |first=Brahma |date=January 18, 2017 |title=The Growing Campaign to Revoke Obama's Nobel Peace Prize |url=http://www.huffingtonpost.com/norman-solomon/the-growing-campaign-to-r_b_3007189.html |access-date=December 11, 2018 |newspaper=Hindustan Times}} 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.{{cite web |date=September 16, 2015 |title=Former Nobel secretary says Obama's peace prize didn't have desired effect |url=https://www.usnews.com/news/world/articles/2015/09/16/nobel-official-obama-peace-prize-didnt-have-desired-effect |access-date=September 16, 2015 |work=U.S. News & World Report}}{{cite web |date=September 16, 2015 |title=Nobel director regretted Obama peace prize |url=http://www.thelocal.no/20150916/nobel-prize-director-awarding-obama-was-wrong |access-date=September 17, 2015 |work=The Local}}
== References ==