The Purple Heart is a United States military decoration awarded in the name of the President to those who have been wounded or killed while serving on or after 5 April 1917 with the U.S. military. The National Purple Heart Hall of Honor is located in Newburgh, New York. The Purple Heart is the oldest symbol and award that is still given to U.S. soldiers in service, surpassed in history only by the long obsolete Fidelity Medallion.


The Medal
A Purple Heart is a heart-shaped medal within a gold border, 1 3⁄8 inches (35 mm) wide, containing a profile of General George Washington...

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“Philly” (Philadelphia, Pa. USA) has a deep tradition in boxing. Being born and raised in Philly, we seem to have either adopted or been given the “Rocky” legacy. When visitors from all over the globe visit Philadelphia, their first point of interest to visit is to “run the Rocky steps”. Amazing! With all the American history and culture that exists in the city - a fictional character that was born in a 1976 (bicentennial year) movie - Rocky wins out? Why does this uplifting “one in a million” underdog who fights for and eventually wins a fictitious World Boxing Championship Belt strike such an emotional chord? I use the Rocky backdrop as an introductio to the story of this famous award, the Championship Belt.

Frazier-Ali World Heavyweight Championship Belt

Today a Championship Belt is used primarily...

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In doing research for this blog of Famous awards I have come across a number of fun, somewhat obscure, facts concerning these famous awards. I would like to share a few with you. Following are just a few. I'll post more in the coming months as I come across them in my research. Did you know...

... in ancient Greece, the first "Trophies" consisted of captured arms and standards hung upon a tree or stake in the semblance of a man and was inscribed with details of the battle along with a dedication to a god or gods. After a naval victory, the "trophy", composed of whole ships or their beaks, was laid out on the nearest beach. To destroy a trophy was regarded as a sacrilege since, as an object dedicated to a god, it must be left to decay naturally. (for more see posting on History of the word Trophy in Recognition: Info & Fun Facts)...

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Tonight the 50th Annual Grammy Awards will be presented by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States for outstanding achievements in the record industry. The Grammy Awards were initially called the Gramophone Awards, which became shortened to its current name "Grammy" over time.



And why is a Grammy called a ''grammy''? Because the trophy is ...

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It is funny to hear someone who apparently has everything: millions of dollars; athletic greatness; national and international recognition and adulation state “all I want is a ring” before I retire. The ring they speak of is the Super Bowl Championship Ring that is awarded to the individuals from the team that wins the National Football League’s Super Bowl. The rings are awarded to the players, coaches and team personnel affiliated with the winning team of the NFL’s BIG GAME.



These rings are typically made of yellow or white gold with diamonds. They usually include....

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It started in 1966 on a cocktail napkin--a humble beginning for the Vince Lombardi Super Bowl Trophy, one of the world's most prestigious sports awards. The scene was a luncheon attended by both Pete Rozelle, then-commissioner of the National Football League, and a vice president of a prominent Jeweler in New York, N.Y.

The jeweler sketched it extremely quickly. "And that sketch became an icon of modern-day sports--the symbol for what no one knew at the time would be one of today's most popular sporting events."

The first Super Bowl, called the AFL/NFL World Championship Game, was played in January following the 1966 football season. At that time, the game was a contest between the champions of the National Football League and the American Football League. Around the third championship game, the media started calling it the Super Bowl, a title coined by Lamar Hunt, owner of the Kansas City Chiefs and founder of the AFL. He thought of the name after seeing his daughter playing with a toy rubber ball called a superball.

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The Hollywood Foreign Press Association (HFPA), the presenters of the 65th annual Golden Globe awards will announce this year’s winners at a news conference this evening at the International Ballroom of The Beverly Hilton - instead of on television. The TV telecast of the very public awards ceremony — which lets TV viewers share in the anything-goes celebration of Hollywood's elite — is gone this year, canceled because of the Screenwriters Guild strike. The strike, since November 5th, against film and TV producers, has the Writers Guild of America refusing to let its members work on the show. Even though the international TV audience will not see awards being presented, the coveted awards will be manufactured and handed out to this year’s winners individually, without the public fanfare.

Manufacturing the Globes
The Golden Globe statue is produced using a combination of metals. The globe is made from one mold through a hot metal casting process. The globe is then plated with 24-karat gold. The 24-karat Golden Globe is ...

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The Heisman Trophy will be presented this evening at the Grand Ballroom in the Hilton New York. “The Heisman”, as it is known, is named after former college football player, coach and innovator John Heisman, and is awarded annually to the most outstanding collegiate football player in the U.S.



The trophy is a 13-1/2 inches high, 14 inches long detailed bronze statue, weighing a hefty 25 pounds, ...

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The Power Of Recognition
A company that creates an environment that motivates people, and where positive behavior is rewarded, will attract...

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Celebrating the Malcolm Baldridge National Quality Award’s 20th anniversary this past week, on November 20th in Washington, D.C., President George W. Bush and Commerce Secretary Carlos M. Gutierrez announced that five organizations were the recipients of the 2007 Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award, the nation’s highest Presidential honor for organizational performance excellence. For the first time in the history of the Baldrige Award, nonprofit organizations have been selected.


The Trophy
The Award crystal is composed of two solid Steuben Crystal prismatic forms, that stands 14 inches tall. The crystal is held in a base of black anodized aluminum, with the award recipient’s name engraved on the base. A 22-karat gold-plated medallion is captured in the front section of the crystal. The medal bears the inscription “Malcolm Baldridge National Quality Award” and “The Quest For Excellence” surrounding the Baldrige “Ribbon with Star” Logo on one side and the “Presidential Seal” on the other side.

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