The first Nobel Peace Prizes were handed out in 1901. Since then, 97 people and 20 organizations have received the honor, including three sitting U.S. presidents and one former. Jimmy Carter was the former president.

Jimmy Carter who served one term from 1977-1981, was awarded the prize in 2002 "for his decades of untiring effort to find peaceful solutions to international conflicts, to advance democracy and human rights, and to promote economic and social development."

Sitting Presidents were:

Theodore Roosevelt who was in office from 1901-09, was awarded the prize in 1906.

Woodrow Wilson who was in office from 1913-21, was awarded the prize in 1919 for founding the League of Nations, the predecessor to the United Nations.

Barack Obama who began his term in 2009, was awarded the prize just months later "for his extraordinary efforts to strengthen international diplomacy and cooperation between peoples."

More Info: worldnews.about.com