President Barack Obama Awarded 2009 Nobel Peace Prize

(Oct. 9) President Obama was awarded the 2009 Nobel Peace Prize Friday in a surprise decision from the Norwegian Nobel Committee for his “extraordinary efforts to strengthen international diplomacy and cooperation between peoples.”

Only eight months into his presidency, Obama had not been mentioned as a front-runner for the Peace prize and was inaugurated less than two weeks before the February 1st deadline for nominations.

Reporters were notably surprised, gasping when Thorbjorn Jagland, chairman of the committee, unexpectedly announced President Obama name as this year’s laureate.

"Only very rarely has a person to the same extent as Obama captured the world's attention and given its people hope for a better future," the committee said.

Jagland said the decision was "unanimous" and came with ease.

Wangari Muta Maathai, the Kenyan environmentalist who won the 2004 Peace Prize, told CNN the win for Obama would help Africa move forward.

"I think it is extraordinary," Maathai said. "It will be even greater inspiration for the world. He has shown how we can probably come together, work together in a cooperative way."

The Committee endorsed Obama's appeal that "Now is the time for all of us to take our share of responsibility for a global response to global challenges."

Obama is third sitting U.S. president and fourth overall to receive the award.

Woodrow Wilson was the last sitting U.S. president to win the peace prize in 1919.   Theodore Roosevelt won the award in 1906.   In 2002, Jimmy Carter received the award.