Established on 12 January 1948, during the regime's first month, it came in five classes:[1] Recipients of its first class included Siegfried Wolfinger (1952), Lucia Sturdza-Bulandra (1953), Emil Bodnăraș, Justinian Marina, Gala Galaction (1954), Dimitrie Cuclin (1955), Simion Stoilow (1957), Alexandru Kirițescu, László Szabédi, Petre Antonescu, Cicerone Theodorescu (1958), N. Gh.

Lupu, Károly Kós (1959), Tudor Arghezi (1960), Ion S. Gheorghiu, Gheorghe Macovei, Erasmus Julius Nyárády, Horia Maicu, George Oprescu, Mihail Jora, Miron Radu Paraschivescu (1961), Ion Agârbiceanu, Nicolae Profiri, Aurel Beleș, Corneliu Miklosi, Ion Jalea, Patriarch Alexy I of Moscow, Perpessicius (1962),[2] Leontin Sălăjan (1963),[3] Nikita Khrushchev (1964),[2] Simion Bughici,[4] Nicolae Giosan (1971 and 1981)[5] Soeharto (1982)[6] and Kim Il Sung (1982).

[7] Recipients of its second class included Gheorghe Pintilie (1948),[8] Corneliu Baba,[9] Alexandru Bârlădeanu,[10] Mihai Beniuc,[2] Geo Bogza, George Călinescu, Elie Carafoli, Alexandru Ciucurencu,[9] Nicolae Corneanu, Virgil Trofin,[11] Miltiade Filipescu [ro], Zoltán Franyó [ro], George Georgescu, Mihai Gheorghiu [ro], Ion Irimescu,[9] Athanase Joja, Barbu Lăzăreanu,[12] Cezar Lăzărescu, Gheorghe Mihoc, Marin Preda, Șerban Țițeica, and Virgil Teodorescu [ro].

[13] Recipients of the third class of the order include Ghizela Vass (1948),[14] Maria Banuș, George S. Bărănescu [ro], Ion Ceaușescu, Tudor Ciortea, Alexandru Dima [ro], Ion Finteșteanu, Nicolae Herlea, Ligia Macovei [ro], Constantin Marin, and Gellu Naum (1971).

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