In 2009, Cosby was presented with the 12th annual Mark Twain Prize for American Humor. He had previously refused the award twice because he was offended by the language used at the first Mark Twain Prize ceremony in 1998.
Cosby is an American cultural icon. In July 2002, President George W. Bush awarded him the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation’s highest civilian honor, for his contribution to television.
