Former US Secretary of State Madeleine Albright (Down) is presented with a Presidential Medal of Freedom by U.S. President Barack Obama at the presentation ceremony of the Medal of Freedom at the White House in Washington D.C. on May 29, 2012. The Medal of Freedom is the Nation's highest civilian honor, presented to individuals who have made especially meritorious contributions to the security or national interests of the United States, to world peace, or to cultural or other significant public or private endeavors. [Xinhua]