Posthumous award

Last updated
An example of a posthumous award Grammy Award of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr..jpg
An example of a posthumous award

A posthumous award is granted after the recipient has died. Many prizes, medals, and awards can be granted posthumously. Australian actor Heath Ledger, for example, won many awards after his death in 2008, particularly concerning his performance as The Joker in the film The Dark Knight . [1]

Contents

Military decorations, such as the Victoria Cross or the Medal of Honor, are often given posthumously. The title Hero of the Soviet Union was posthumously given, but the Gold Star medal was not awarded itself. During World War II, many countries practiced the granting of posthumous awards. [2] In the Soviet Union, the only posthumous award that was physically awarded was the Order of the Patriotic War. All other awards were not physically awarded. Until 1977, upon the death of an awardee, all medals and awards were returned. [3] Sports awards and titles can be awarded posthumously, for example 1970 Formula One champion Jochen Rindt, who died in a crash late in the season, but still had enough points to be named champion. [4]

Less commonly, certain prizes, medals, and awards are granted only posthumously, especially those that honor people who died in service to a particular cause. Such awards include the Confederate Medal of Honor award, to Confederate veterans who distinguished themselves conspicuously during the American Civil War (1861–1865), and the Dag Hammarskjöld Medal, to military personnel, police, or civilians who died while serving in a United Nations peacekeeping operation.

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jochen Rindt</span> Racing driver (1942–1970)

Karl Jochen Rindt was a racing driver, who competed under the Austrian flag in Formula One from 1964 to 1970. Rindt won the Formula One World Drivers' Championship in 1970 with Lotus, and remains the only driver to have won the World Drivers' Championship posthumously, following his death at the Italian Grand Prix; he won six Grands Prix across seven seasons. In endurance racing, Rindt won the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1965 with NART.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hero of the Soviet Union</span> Highest award of the Soviet Union

The title Hero of the Soviet Union was the highest distinction in the Soviet Union, awarded together with the Order of Lenin personally or collectively for heroic feats in service to the Soviet state and society. The title was awarded both to civilian and military persons.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Congressional Space Medal of Honor</span> American award given to astronauts

The Congressional Space Medal of Honor was authorized by the United States Congress in 1969 to recognize "any astronaut who in the performance of his or her duties has distinguished himself or herself by exceptionally meritorious efforts and contributions to the welfare of the Nation and mankind". It's awarded by the President of the United States in Congress's name on recommendations from the Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. The award is a separate decoration from the Medal of Honor, which is a military award for extreme bravery and gallantry in combat.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hero of the Russian Federation</span> Highest honorary title of Russia

Hero of the Russian Federation, also unofficially called Hero of Russia, is the highest honorary title of the Russian Federation. The title has a Gold Star medal, an insignia of honour that identifies recipients.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1970 Italian Grand Prix</span> Motor car race

The 1970 Italian Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at the Autodromo Nazionale di Monza on September 6, 1970. It was race 10 of 13 in both the 1970 World Championship of Drivers and the 1970 International Cup for Formula One Manufacturers. The race was marred by the death of Jochen Rindt, who died during the practice session on September 5. Rindt himself went on to become Formula One's only posthumous World Champion to date. The 68-lap race was won by Ferrari driver Clay Regazzoni for his first Grand Prix victory after starting from third position. Jackie Stewart finished second for the Tyrrell team in one of the last races the team used the March chassis and Matra driver Jean-Pierre Beltoise came in third.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1970 United States Grand Prix</span> Motor car race

The 1970 United States Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held on October 4, 1970 at the Watkins Glen Grand Prix Race Course in Watkins Glen, New York. It was race 12 of 13 in both the 1970 World Championship of Drivers and the 1970 International Cup for Formula One Manufacturers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1970 Formula One season</span> 24th season of the FIAs Formula One motor racing

The 1970 Formula One season was the 24th season of the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile's Formula One motor racing. It featured the 21st World Championship of Drivers, the 13th International Cup for F1 Manufacturers and three non-championship races open to Formula One cars. The World Championship was contested over thirteen races between 7 March and 25 October.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alonzo Cushing</span> American Union Army soldier (1841–1863)

Alonzo Hereford Cushing was an artillery officer in the Union Army during the American Civil War. He was killed in action during the Battle of Gettysburg while defending the Union position on Cemetery Ridge against Pickett's Charge. In 2013, 150 years after Cushing's death, he was nominated for the Medal of Honor. The nomination was approved by the United States Congress, and was sent for review by the Defense Department and the President.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Heath Ledger</span> Australian actor (1979–2008)

Heath Andrew Ledger was an Australian actor. After playing roles in several Australian television and film productions during the 1990s, he moved to the United States in 1998 to further develop his film career. His work consisted of 20 films in a variety of genres, including 10 Things I Hate About You (1999), The Patriot (2000), A Knight's Tale (2001), Monster's Ball (2001), Casanova (2005), Lords of Dogtown (2005), Brokeback Mountain (2005), Candy (2006), I'm Not There (2007), The Dark Knight (2008), and The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus (2009), the latter two of which were posthumously released. He also produced and directed music videos and aspired to be a film director.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nina Rindt</span> Finnish fashion model (born 1943)

Nina Madeline Rindt is a Finnish former fashion model, Formula One motor racing personality, and member of the British aristocracy.

References

  1. ↑ "Heath Ledger's Family 'So Proud' of Globe Nod". People Magazine. 2008-12-11. Archived from the original on 2022-04-06. Retrieved 2022-04-06.
  2. ↑ "Sacrifice Remembered: Posthumous Awards of the Purple Heart in WWII". Army Heritage Center Foundation. 2020-09-30. Archived from the original on 2020-11-25. Retrieved 2022-04-06.
  3. ↑ de Vlieger, Auke. "A Few Interesting Pieces". Archived from the original on 2022-12-22. Retrieved 2023-06-04.
  4. ↑ Donaldson, Gerald. "Drivers Hall of Fame: Jochen Rindt". Formula1. Archived from the original on 2022-04-06. Retrieved 2022-04-06.


This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.