Current Affairs April 2020 - Deaths

1 - Veteran cricketer Tony Lewis passed away

Tony Lewis, one of the men behind the Duckworth-Lewis-Stern method used in weather-affected limited overs cricket matches passed away. Tony, alongside fellow mathematician Frank Duckworth, devised the Duckworth-Lewis method which was introduced in 1997 and adopted officially by the ICC (International Cricket Council) in 1999.

Renamed the Duckworth-Lewis-Stern Method in 2014, the mathematical formula continues to be used in rain reduced limited overs cricket games across the globe. The formula has been criticized for not being suited to Twenty20 matches.

2 - Tamil folk singer Paravai Muniyamma passed away

`Tamil Folk Singer and Actress Paravai Muniyamma passed away. She performed 2,000 stage performances on folk songs and appeared as actress in over 50 films in role of grandmother. She was popularly known for “Madurai Veeran” song.

Paravai Muniyamma was honoured with the Kalaimamani title by the Tamil Nadu government. She has performed in various movies such as Dhool (2003), Kovil (2004), Maan Karate (2014), Veeram (2014) and Veluthu Kattu.

3 - Legendary historian Arjun Dev passed away

Professor Arjun Dev, the legendary educationist and historian passed away. He served as a historian at the National Council of Education Research and Training (NCERT). He penned a number of extremely popular textbooks for the NCERT on Modern and Contemporary India and the World.

Prof. Arjun worked on a project named as Indian Council of Historical Research as a rejoinder to the British government-inspired Transfer of Power Volumes which documented the history of the last ten years of colonial rule in India.

4 - Padma Shri awardee Bhai Nirmal Singh passed away

Padma Shri awardee Bhai Nirmal Singh Khalsa passed away at the age of 67 years after testing positive for COVID-19. Nirmal Singh served as a Gurbani exponent at the Golden Temple in Amritsar and had the knowledge of all 31 “raags” in the Gurbani of the Guru Granth Sahib. He was honored with Padma Shri award in 2009.

Nirmal Singh was former ‘Hazoori Raagi’ (spiritual singer) at Harmandir Sahib (Golden Temple) in Amritsar.

5 - Emmy award-winning singer Adam Schlesinger passed away

Award-winning singer-songwriter Adam Schlesinger passed away due to COVID-19 infection. He was known for cofounding pop-rock band ‘Fountains of Wayne’ of the 2000. He was honored with Emmy Award in 2019 for his outstanding original music and lyrics for Antidepressants Are So Not A Big Deal from the TV musical drama Crazy Ex-Girlfriend.

Adam Schlesinger composed songs for 2003 hit band’s “Stacy’s Mom”, “A Colbert Christmas: The Greatest Gift of All!”, “Too Late With Adam Carolla”, “The Howard Stern Radio Show” and “The Dana Carvey Show”.

6 - Nobel laureate Phillip Anderson passed away

Nobel Prize-winning physicist Philip Warren Anderson passed away. Philip W. Anderson was an American physicist whose explorations of electronic behavior in solid materials like glass, crystals and alloys earned him Nobel Prize in Physics in 1977.

Anderson’s most influential work concentrated on behavior of electrons within disordered materials, which include certain kinds of semiconductors and research into spin glasses, a class of materials that has complex magnetic behavior. His research of how electrons behave when trapped, or localized, became known as Anderson localization.

7 - World-renowned virologist Geeta Ramjee passed away

World-renowned virologist Geeta Ramjee passed away at the age of 50 years after contracting COVID-19. She became the first Indian-origin South African to have died due to COVID-19. She was a brilliant vaccine scientist and an HIV prevention research leader.

Ramjee was the Clinical Trials Unit Principal Investigator and Unit Director of the HIV Prevention Research Unit of the South African Medical Research Council (SAMRC). She was honored with the Outstanding Female Scientist Award by the European Development Clinical Trials Partnerships (EDCTP) for her lifetime commitment to finding new HIV prevention methods.

8 - Journalist Brahm Kanchibotla passed away

Indian-American journalist Brahm Kanchibotla passed away at the age of 66 years due to coronavirus in the US. For several years, Brahm Kanchibotla was the New York and UN correspondent of the United News of India.

In recent years, he was writing for two ethnic Indian American publications: The Indian Panorama and South Asia Times. During his 28-year career in the US, he had worked for 11 years as a content editor for Merger Markets, a financial publication, and also did a stint with News India-Times weekly newspaper.

9 - Grammy-winning writer and singer Bill Withers passed away

Three-time Grammy Award winner, Bill Withers, passed away at the age of 81 years. He wrote some of the most memorable and often-covered songs of the 1970s, including “Lean on Me,” “Ain’t No Sunshine” and “Use Me”.

“Ain’t No Sunshine” and “Lean on Me” are among Rolling Stone magazine’s list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2015 by Stevie Wonder.

10 - Veteran American actor Forrest Compton passed away

Veteran Hollywood actor Forrest Compton passed away at the age of 94 years due to Coronavirus. He is known for portraying attorney Mike Karr, the central character on the long-running soap opera The Edge of Night.

Mr. Compton served with the 103^rd Infantry Division in France during World War II. He also appeared on the CBS series Gomer Pyle: USMC as the no-nonsense Lieutenant Colonel Edward Gray. His TV credits include The Twilight Zone, That Girl, Mayberry RFD, and Hogan’s Heroes.

11 - Veteran Malayalam music composer MK Arjunan passed away

Veteran Malayalam music composer MK Arjunan passed away at the age of 84 years. He was popularly known as Arjunan master. Arjunan scored music for more than 600 songs in over 200 Malayalam films.

Arjunan was also known for recording the first song of legendary Carnatic vocalist and playback singer KJ Yesudas and gave the chance to Oscar winning musician AR Rahman to play the keyboard in a film. He received the Kerala state award for the song in Jayaraj directed movie Bhayanakam in 2017.

12 - Former Libya Prime Minister Mahmoud Jibril passed away

Mahmoud Jibril, the former leader of the opposition Libyan government during the civil war that toppled Muammar Gaddafi after 40 years of rule, passed away at the age of 67 years due to the coronavirus. Jibril had been interim prime minister for about seven months in 2011 and resigned after Gaddafi was captured and killed in the city of Sirte.

Jibril headed the rebel National Transitional Council (NTC), the interim government during the NATO-backed rebellion that toppled and killed Gaddafi.

13 - Former New Zealand Wicketkeeper Jock Edwards passed away

Former New Zealand wicket-keeper batsman Jock Edwards passed away at the age of 64 years. He played 8 Tests & 6 ODIs for the national team. he also played 67 first-class matches. Edwards managed to score 377 runs in Tests and in the ODIs he scored 138 runs.

Edwards was an important contributor in regional cricket for Nelson. He was a part of the Nelson side that was dominant in the Hawke Cup - the multi-day inter-zonal competition, which is more than a century old - between 1979 and 1983.

14 - Former Real Madrid coach Radomir Antic passed away

Former Real Madrid, Barcelona and Atletico Madrid coach Radomir Antic passed away at the age of 71 years. He coached Real Madrid from March 1991 to January 1992, Atletico Madrid for 5 years and took charge of Barcelona in 2003. He served as manager for Real Zaragoza, Real Ovideo, Celta Vigo and the Serbia national team at the 2010 World Cup.

Antic was honored with La Liga in1995–96, Copa del Rey in 1995–96, Don Balón Award of Best Coach in 1995–96 and Serbian Coach of the year in 2009.

15 - James Bond film actress Honor Blackman passed away

'Goldfinger' Bond girl Honor Blackman passed away. She was popularly known for playing legendary Bond girl Pussy Galore in the 1964 James Bond movie ‘Goldfinger’ starring alongside Sean Connery. She appeared in the popular 1960s TV spy series ‘The Avengers’ while playing the character of “Cathy Gale”. Some of her popular works include goddess Hera in 1963 film ‘Jason and the Argonauts’, Laura West in the 1990s sitcom The Upper Hand.

Honor worked as a member of the Liberal Democrats and was previously a member of the Liberal Party, campaigning for the party at the 1964 general election.

16 - Renowned Hindustani classical singer Shanti Hiranand Chawla passed away

Renowned Hindustani classical singer and Padma Shri awardee Shanti Hiranand Chawla passed away. She was popularly trained in thumri, Dadra and ghazal singing by Begum Akhtar. She authored book "Begum Akhtar: The Story of My Ammi” based on her journey with her music guru, Begum Akhtar.

Shanti Hiranand Chawla was honored with Padma Shri in 2007. She featured in various performances across world in countries such as Lahore, Islamabad, Toronto, Boston, New York, and Washington. She taught music at Triveni Kala Sangam, Delhi in her last decades.

17 - Former Liverpool player, Michael Robinson, passed away

Former Liverpool and Republic of Ireland star Michael Robinson passed away at the age of 61 years. Robinson won the European Cup, First Division and League Cup with the Liverpool side of 1983-84. He also played for Brighton & Hove Albion, Manchester City and Queens Park Rangers before ending his career with Spain's Osasuna.

Robinson scored four goals in his 24 appearances with Ireland between 1980 and 1986. He settled in Spain after retiring from football in 1989. He went onto become a successful commentator and media pundit on La Liga matches and Spanish national team games.

18 - Former Minister Saharai Oram passed away

Former Cabinet minister and five-time MLA Saharai Oram passed away at the age of 78 years. He was known for his work towards development of tribals. He was a close associate of late Chief Minister Biju Patnaik.

Oram was first elected to the Odisha Assembly from Champua constituency in 1971 as an Utkal Congress candidate. He was elected from Champua as a Janata Party candidate in 1977, in 1980 as Janata-S candidate, 1990 as Janata Dal candidate and in 2000 as an Independent.

19 - Oscar-winning animator and filmmaker Gene Deitch passed away

American Oscar-winning illustrator, animator, film director and producer, Gene Deitch, passed away at the age of 95 years. Deitch directed timeless classic cartoon series Tom and Jerry and Popeye. In 2004, he received the Winsor McCay Award for his lifelong contribution to animation.

Deitch's won the Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film in 1960 for his film ‘Munro’. He was nominated for Academy Award for Sidney's Family Tree in 1958. (As co-producer). He also nominated for Oscar Award for Best Animated Short Film in 1964 for ‘Here's Nudnik and How to Avoid Friendship’.

20 - Former Fiji Prime Minister Laisenia Qarase passed away

Former Fiji Prime Minister Laisenia Qarase passed away at the age of 79 years. He served as Fiji’s sixth Prime Minister from 2000 to 2006. He was appointed Prime Minister in 2000 after the military quashed a coup by failed businessman George Speight that had removed the government of Mahendra Chaudhry.

In 2006, Laisenia Qarase was removed from power in a military coup led by Frank Bainimarama and later imprisoned on corruption charges. He was the founder of the Soqosoqo Duavata Ni Lewenivanua Party.

21 - BMW Group India CEO Rudratej Singh passed away

BMW Group India President and Chief Executive Officer Rudratej Singh passed away at the age of 46 years. Rudratej Singh had been appointed as the CEO and President of BMW's India wing in June 2019 and officially taking over the position from August 1 2019.

Prior to BMW India, Rudratej Singh was the Global President at Royal Enfield. He had also worked with Unilever India. BMW India started operations in January 2007.

22 - British Comedian Tim Brooke-Taylora pssed away

British Comedian Tim Brooke-Taylor passed away at the age of 79 years with coronavirus. He began his acting career at Cambridge University. Brooke-Taylor was a regular panellist on BBC Radio 4's "I'm Sorry I Haven't A Clue" for over 40 years and became popular with "The Goodies" on TV in the 1970s.

Brooke-Taylor was even part of the TV show "At Last The 1948 Show". In 2011, Brooke-Taylor was appointed an OBE for his services to entertainment.

23 - Legendary Formula One driver Stirling Moss passed away

British Formula 1 legend Sir Stirling Moss passed away at the age of 90 years. He was considered one of the finest race car drivers of all time. However, he also had the unfortunate and unofficial distinction of being the greatest Formula One driver never to have won the world championship.

Beginning in 1955, he finished runner-up four straight times and then third for the next three seasons. His career, spanning a number of different racing series, saw him win an incredible 212 out of 529 races that he had entered.

24 - Former Chelsea and England goalkeeper passed away

Legendary Chelsea and England goalkeeper Peter Bonetti passed away at the age of 78 years. He was described by Chelsea as a "goalkeeping superstar of the 1960s and 1970s" and "one of our indisputably all-time great players". He was nicknamed “The Cat” for his outstanding reflexes and agility.

Bonetti made seven appearances for England, including in the 1970 World Cup finals. He was part of England's 1966 World Cup-winning squad but was unused throughout the tournament.

25 - Former Union Minister Rajasekharan passed away

Veteran Congress Leader & Former Union Minister Rajasekharan passed away. He worked as politician from the Indian National Congress party and a member of the Legislative Council Karnataka in the upper house of the Government of Karnataka.

Rajasekharan served as Union Minister of State for Planning in the Manmohan Singh Ministry and represented Kanakapura, Karnataka constituency in Lok Sabha. He had set up an institute to make studies on rural development.

26 - Father of modern Iraqi architecture Rifat Chadirji passed away

Rifat Chadirji, the father of modern Iraqi architecture and an accomplished photographer, passed away after contracting Covid-19. He was known for designing Iraq’s most valuable structures and iconic “Freedom Monument” in the now protest hub of Baghdad’s Tahrir Square. He also designed Iraq’s magnum opus, elegant arch entitled “The Unknown Soldier”.

Rifat was honored with Sheikh Zayed’ Book Award in 2008, Lifetime Achievement Award from Tamayouz Excellence Award in 2015 and Chairman's Award of the Aga Khan Award for Architecture in 1986.

27 - Former pro golfer Doug Sanders passed away

Former pro golfer Doug Sanders passed away. He was popularly known as the “peacock of the fairways” for his stylish and bright-hued clothing. He won 20 titles on the PGA Tour, 1957 Colombian Open, 1963 Yomiuri International and 1959 Sahara Pro-Am.

Sanders was inducted as a member of the Florida Sports Hall of Fame, Georgia Sports Hall of Fame, the Georgia Golf Hall of Fame and University of Florida Athletic Hall of Fame as a "Gator Great. Sanders was the last amateur to win on the PGA Tour until Scott Verplank in 1985.

28 - Swiss Ice Hockey player Roger Chappot passed away

Former Switzerland's Ice hockey player Roger Chappot passed away due to Coronavirus. He appeared in more than 100 games for Switzerland's national team including at the 1964 Winter Olympics. He represented for HC Villars and Genève-Servette HC in the National League A. He was the Swiss league’s leading scorer in the 1964 season.

Roger Chappot was known as legend in the French-speaking part of Switzerland and one of the best centers in the country in the '60s.

29 - NFL Hall of Famer Willie Davis passed away

Football legend and NFL Hall of Famer Willie Davis passed away. He was popularly known for becoming the first African-American captain in Green Bay Packers’ history in 1965. He spent 10 years with the Wisconsin team, from 1960 to 1969. He became one of the first Black Americans to own a Class A radio broadcasting license.

Willie featured in 12 seasons in the National Football League (NFL) and played for the Cleveland Browns (1958-59) and the Green Bay Packers (1960-69). He contributed majorly to the Packers' five NFL championship teams during the 1960s.

30 - Renowned thespian Usha Ganguly passed away

Renowned South Asian thespian and founder of Rangakarmee, Usha Ganguly, passed away at the age of 75 years. Usha was a trailblazer for women in Indian theatre. The veteran director was known for her non-conformist productions. She is credited for developing Hindi plays in Kolkata.

Ganguly was applauded with the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award for direction in 1998, and also honoured by the West Bengal Government as the Best Actress, for the play Gudia Ghar.

31 - Former Australian all-rounder Graeme Watson passed away

Australia's enigmatic sportsmen and cricket all-rounder, Graeme Watson passed away at the age of 75 years. Primarily a middle-order batsman and a medium-pace bowler, he played five Tests from 1967 to 1972 and two ODIs in 1972. He was a celebrated person for his multi-skilled nature, both as a cricketer and sportsman.

Watson was the first Australian cricketer to represent three Sheffield Shield teams. He finished his career with 4,674 runs and 186 wickets from 107 first-class games.

32 - Former Bihar Governor Devanand Konwar passed away

Veteran politician and former Governors of Bihar, Tripura, and West Bengal, Devanand Konwar passed away at the age of 86 years. Konwar joined the Indian National Congress in 1955 as a student leader and he was also a member of the state cabinet in 1991 in the Hiteshwar Saikia government. He was also the cabinet minister in 2001 Tarun Gogoi government.

Professionally, Konwar served as Government Advocate for the States of Assam, Tripura, Arunachal Pradesh and Mizoram in the Gauhati High Court. He began his career as a lecturer in the English Department in Cotton College.

33 - Renowned actor Irrfan Khan passed away

Renowned actor Irrfan Khan passed away at the age of 53 years. He is cited as one of the finest actors in Indian cinema. In a career spanning over 30 years, he earned numerous accolades, including a National Film Award, an Asian Film Award, and four Filmfare Awards. In 2011, he was awarded the Padma Shri, India's fourth highest civilian honour.

In 2013, Khan won India's National Film Award for his leading role in Paan Singh Tomar. His international movie career included hits such as Slumdog Millionaire, Life of Pi and The Amazing Spider-Man.

34 - Noted Odia dramatist Bijay Mishra passed away

Noted playwright and lyricist of Odisha Bijay Mishra passed away at the age of 83 years. He won the Kendriya Sahitya Akademi award for his play ‘Vanaprastha’. He had also won the Odisha Sahitya Akademi. He also received the prestigious Jayadev Award for his lifetime contribution to Odia film industry at the 30^th Odisha State Film Awards.

Mishra's widely acclaimed play ‘Tata Niranjana’ has been translated in Hindi, Nepali, Kannada and in several other Indian languages. It won him a national award from All India Radio. He had written at least 60 dramas and 55 film scripts.

35 - Ex-NASA administrator James Beggs passed away

Former NASA administrator James M. Beggs passed away at the age of 94 years. He served in the agency’s top position from July 1981 to December 1985. He resigned after the Challenger disaster killed seven astronauts in 1986.

NASA had more than 20 successful space shuttle missions during Beggs’ tenure. He had served in managerial roles for various such corporations as Summa Corporation, General Dynamics, and Westinghouse prior to his work in NASA.

36 - Veteran actor Rishi Kapoor passed away

Rishi Kapoor passed away at the age of 67 years. He received the Filmfare Best Actor Award in 1974 for his debut film Bobby (1973). he played the romantic lead in 92 films between 1973 and 2000. Rishi Kapoor was awarded the Filmfare Lifetime Achievement Award in 2008.

He was part of hit films such as Amar Akbar Anthony, Laila Majnu, Rafoo Chakkar , Sargam, Karz, Prem Rog, Chandni, Heena, Karz, Bol Radha Bol, Saagar and others.

37 - Veteran actor Ranjit Chowdhry passed away

Veteran television and theatre actor Ranjit Chowdhry passed away. He worked in several movies such as Baton Baton Mein, Khatta Meetha, Mississippi Masala, Khubsoorat, Bandit Queen, Kaante, Lonely in America and Bollywood/Hollywood. He had also worked in television serial The Office.

Ranjit Chowdhry’s most noted role was in Last Holiday (2006), starring Queen Latifah. Ranjit received honorable mention at Cannes in 1991 for his screenplay and act in Sam & Me (directed by Deepa Mehta). He was briefly hired for The Michael Scott Paper Company.