Each and every year the White House and the presidential family celebrate Christmas in a variety of ways. Perhaps the most public and most anticipated part of the celebration is the arrival of the official White House Christmas tree and today is the day that it has finally arrived. Of course this is far from the end of the line as the tree will still need to be officially decorated and lit before it is publicly shown in the final form.

The Christmas tree chosen for the President’s family is a beautiful 19 foot tree that has been growing in Wisconsin for years. Nobody knew exactly what tree was being chosen but as expected the tree is in fact magnificent. Of course the first family took this as an opportunity to get some public appearance in too as dozens of people were invited to the official unveiling of the tree. Now begins the process of actually decorating the tree which will likely take a few weeks.

This special landmark also marks what many consider to be the unofficial start of the holiday season. The combination of holiday shopping, holiday decorations, and the arrival of the presidential Christmas tree is the undisputed start of the Christmas season for thousands of people which brings nothing but happiness and cheer. The holiday season is under full swing now in the United States and around the world which means Christmas joy and cheer will be spreading quickly to millions of people around the world.

This week President Obama unveiled his personal list of people that he wanted to recognize for their contributions to science, technology, and innovation. The awards given out yesterday are prestigious and rare to say the least so those that received them are surely glad to have received such incredible recognition.

The awards were specifically given to seven researchers for their various discoveries including new DNA properties, new health and medicine discoveries, optimized research methods, and much more. Five people were also recognized for their amazing inventions which included things such as space craft and aircraft guidance systems, and other advanced inventions. All of the recipients were personally given their awards by President Obama at the official ceremony and dinner, during which he spoke about the many accomplishments and achievements the group had made.

Overall analysts agree with President Obama’s sentiments that the group of scientists truly had made some of the greatest advancements in their respective fields. It is not often that a group of scientists is recognized on a global platform such as this one so it is truly fitting that they were all personally presented their awards by the president himself. Until next year these 12 men and women will be considered America’s top scientists and innovators, many of them are surely hoping to stay in that group in the coming years as well which will hopefully help develop even more advancement in the scientific world.

Today Sergeant Dakota Meyer of Kentucky was awarded the Medal of Honor by President Obama. The Medal of Honor is a very special award that few men are lucky enough to receive; of course Meyer had his reason for receiving this prestigious metal. Meyer actually received the metal for his outstanding bravery while fighting but the surprising part is that he was actually violating direct orders while doing what he did.

Meyer received the medal because he was brave enough to directly enter a heavy fire fight rather than stay back and retain cover. Throughout the fight that lasted hours Meyer repeatedly entered the areas of heaviest fire in order to assist his fellow soldiers in need. Throughout the fight he managed to rescue 12 men that were essentially pinned down. He also managed to single handedly free a path for 24 more American soldiers to escape from the massive ambush.

Despite all of the heroic efforts Meyer still maintained his position that he is not a hero in any way. He, like most soldiers, say he was simply doing what was necessary in order to protect his men. Because of this Meyer was in fact very worth of the incredibly prestigious Medal of Honor which he was personally awarded by President Obama this morning. Meyer will forever be recorded as an outstanding soldier and an American hero, regardless of how modest he will forever be.