Watch President Obama Present Ellen DeGeneres with the Medal of Freedom

On November 22, President Obama named 21 recipients of the Medal of Freedom, the highest civilian honour in the United States, which included Ellen DeGeneres, Robert De Niro, Bill and Melinda Gates, Michael Jordan and Tom Hanks. The recipient who left not a dry eye in the house was Ellen. Even Obama had to crack a joke to keep himself from choking up. She was presented with the medal for being “a passionate advocate for equality and fairness” on the White House’s press update. Charmingly, Hanks and De Niro beam with pride—for her and themselves—in the background. For all the touching moments Ellen creates on her shows, this one probably takes the cake for greatest tear-jerker.

If you need some comic relief, too, see what went down at the White House, as guests and award recipients attempted the mannequin challenge: