Nirenberg was awarded the National Medal of Science in 1964 and the National Medal of Honor in 1968 by President Lyndon B. Johnson. In 1981, Nirenberg became a founding member of the World Cultural Council. In 1986, Nirenberg's achievements and contributions to the field of biochemistry genetics was recognized at an event honoring Maimonides and Menachem M. Schneerson, in the nation's capital, hosted by Bob Dole and Joe Biden. He was elected to the American Philosophical Society in 2001. He died on January 15, 2010, from cancer after several months of illness.