I was looking for just this thread! Because I dumped my backstory in a different thread (Ahem).
Commander Golden-Knight was born on Earth, but had to go many lightyears to achieve pilot certification. Earth had recovered from its many countless conflicts, and even with battle taking the galactic stage (albeit mostly confined to "The Bubble"), most of that period on the planet itself was peaceful.
The name Golden-Knight comes from a famous warrior (or infamous, depending on your sources, and their credibility or lack thereof), who began his dynasty back in the Third World War, as a key leader and "Secret Weapon" that saw the United States win - the very beginning to the "Butterfly Effect" that would directly lead to the founding of The Federation.
Upon reaching the stars, and having set out from the loaned Sidewinder, it was always the dream of Golden-Knight to "return home to Earth", which as fate would have it, would mean completing a single and very specific objective: achieving the rank of Petty Officer in the Federation! This would be no small task, especially with ideology that aligned more closely with the Alliance, and their Libertarian values over Corporate dominance. "Money was just a tool to me, the means for fueling my ambitions to conquer scum and carve my name in the stars. That glory is both priceless and everlasting, which drives me far more than any paycheck ever could."
As soon as possible, Golden-Knight bought the Cobra Mark 3, the first ship to have been purchased through the fruits of hard work. This would be the ship to blaze the trail, and would symbolize the feeling of freedom's beginning...and the ship was named after that emotional sentiment: Freedom's Beginning.
The Freedom's Beginning was armed with 2 pulse lasers and 2 heatseeking missiles, which had proven to be a winning combo: the lasers take down shields, the missile blow away the hull. But, the ship during its legendary voyage that'd draw a ring around the whole Milky Way would be shockingly unarmed, since the ship itself was designed specifically for maximum speed, fuel capacity, and a 4A fuel scoop - the key to any deep space voyage outside "The Bubble".
Should there ever be any indicator of success, the pilot has brought honor to the clan name, and the original "Hero Leader" of World War Three had been commemorated in the form of a plush doll, that can sit atop any pilot's dashboard (provided the ARX were good, of course). Honoring the start of that bloodline was the personal and explicit request of Commander Golden-Knight.
With regards to Earth, since it's a tourist attraction and the Federation government has moved to Mars, I see the old Washington DC as nothing but a giant, city-sized monument, dedicated to all the historically significant characters, both before AND after the Founding of the Federation. That definitely includes "Hero Monument", and various plaques listing the greatest explorers and combat pilots in the Elite Dangerous universe (specifically, us the players).
And with that in mind, all the contributions of the present-day Commander Golden-Knight have been given to the Abraham Lincoln station floating around Earth. That is as close as the game will currently physically allow to us landing on Earth proper (a.k.a. "My Home"). So all such historical significance of Golden-Knight in particular are acknowledged and displayed at that particular space station.
As for this, I present Exhibit A: The ORIGINAL "Golden Knight", as of World War Three (WWIII).
(Out of character, I know that this cute guy is not exactly originating from Elite Dangerous, but from this little-known webcomic called "Hero Team". I just thought it'd be cute to put that Easter Egg into the lore, especially since there ARE Star Wars Easter Eggs around...and I've seen the proof.)