The White House announced the 2004 National Medal of Technology and Science recipients back in November... 2005. Alright, they're a little late. The awards were scheduled to be given out tomorrow morning, Valentine's Day; however, it appears they've decided to make up for their earlier tardiness, because the ceremony took place this morning at the White House.
The medal of technology was established by Congress in 1980, with 166 medals being awarded to date. Ralph Baer was recognized "for his work in developing and commercializing interactive video games, which spawned related uses and mega-industries in both the entertainment and education fields." Baer was responsible for the Magnavox Odyssey video game console, for popularizing the ping-pong game mechanic, and for the popular color-tiled memory menace, Simon.
Baer has also been one of the relatively unsung heroes of the video game revolution, living in the culturally expansive shadows of Nolan Bushnell, Atari, and Pong. Congratulations, Mr. Baer!
Image is from the White House's slideshow. Also see their press release.
