- Current Affairs August 2020
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Current Affairs August 2020 - Deaths
1 - Samajwadi Party leader Amar Singh passed away
Samajwadi Party leader Amar Singh passed away at the age of 64 years. He was former General Secretary of the Samajwadi Party. Amar Singh was elected to the Rajya Sabha for the first time from Uttar Pradesh in 1996 and got re-elected in 2003.
In 2016, Amar Singh got elected to the Rajya Sabha as an Independent candidate from Uttar Pradesh. Amar Singh played a small role in movie Hamara Dil Aapke Paas Hai.
2 - Former Taiwan President Lee Teng-hui passed away
Former Taiwan President Lee Teng-hui passed away at the age of 97 years. He was the first directly-elected president of Taiwan in 1996. He is regarded as the "father of Taiwan's democracy".
Lee served as president of Taiwan from 1988 to 2000. He was credited with ending autocratic rule in favour of pluralism and democracy. Mr. Lee joined the Nationalist Party, known as the Kuomintang or KMT in 1971.
3 - Theatre maestro Ebrahim Alkazi passed away
Theatre maestro Ebrahim Alkazi passed away at the age of 94 years. He was the first director of National School of Drama (NSD) and considered as the father of modern Indian theatre.
Alkazi was recipient of the Padma Vibhushan (2010), Padma Bhushan (1991) and Padma Shri (1966). His Royal Academy of Dramatics Art (RADA) pass-out staged more than 50 plays during his distinguished career and won the BBC Broadcasting Award in 1950.
4 - Nobel Peace Prize winner John Hume passed away
The Nobel Peace Prize winner and prominent Northern Ireland politician John Hume passed away at the age of 83 years. He was a founding member of the Social Democratic and Labour Party (SDLP) in 1970.
Mr Hume played a major role in the peace talks, which led to the Good Friday Agreement in 1998. Hume was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1998, along with David Trimble, for his role in ending the conflict in Northern Ireland.
5 - Former Governor of Arunachal Pradesh, Ram Pradhan passed away
Former governor of Arunachal Pradesh RD Pradhan passed away at the age of 92 years. He was an IAS officer of the Maharashtra cadre and also served as Union Home Secretary. He played a major role in the signing of the Assam Accord and the Mizo Accord.
Pradhan lead a two-man panel to investigate the 2008 Mumbai attacks. Pradhan served as India's Resident Representative to UNCTAD and GATT. Mr Pradhan was awarded the Padma Bhushan on Republic Day, 1987.
6 - Renowned lyricist & poet Rahat Indori passed away
Noted Urdu poet and lyricist Rahat Indori passed away in Indore at the age of 70 years. With a 50-year career in poetry, Mr Rahat Indori was known for the lyrics of hit films like Munnabhai MBBS, Kareeb, Ghatak and Ishq. His real name was Rahat Qureshi.
Indori was also a former professor of Urdu language and a painter. Prior to this he was a pedagogist of Urdu literature at Devi Ahilya University, Indore.
7 - Former Indian cricketer Chetan Chauhan passed away
Former Indian cricketer Chetan Chauhan passed away at the age of 73 years.
Chauhan was also Minister of Sainik Welfare, Home Guards, PRD and Civil Security in the UP Cabinet. He was honoured with the Arjuna Award in 1981. Chauhan was twice elected to the Lok Sabha from Amroha in Uttar Pradesh, in 1991 and 1998.
Chauhan played 40 Tests scoring 2084 runs with 16 half-centuries and two wickets. With Sunil Gavaskar, Chauhan formed a potent opening partnership for India with the duo scoring over 3000 runs, including 12 century stands.
8 - Legendary Indian classical vocalist Pandit Jasraj passed away
Legendary Indian classical vocalist Pandit Jasraj passed away today at the age of 90 years. The musical career of Pandit Jasraj spanned over eight decades. He belonged to the Mewati gharana.
Pandit Jasraj has also lent vocals to Oscar winning movie 'Life of Pi'. He was honoured with Padma Shri in 1975, Padma Bhushan in 1990 and Padma Vibhushan in 2000. He was given the Sangeet Natak Academy award in 1987.
9 - British Tennis legend Angela Buxton passed away
British tennis legend and Wimbledon champion Angela Buxton passed away at the age of 85 years. She was one of the game's leading doubles players in the 1950s having won the French Open and Wimbledon in 1956.
Angela partnered with the American Althea Gibson, the first African American Slam champion. Buxton was inducted into the International Jewish Sports Hall of Fame in 1981, having won the Women's Singles gold medal at the 1953 Maccabiah Games. She was inducted into the Black Tennis Hall of Fame in 2015.
10 - Former Congo President Pascal Lissouba passed away
Former President of the Republic of Congo, Pascal Lissouba passed away. He was the first democratically elected President of the Republic of the Congo and served as the president from 1992 to 1997. He won his country's first multi-party presidential elections in 1992.
The high court of Justice in the Republic of Congo sentenced Pascal Lissouba in absentia to 30 years forced labour for treason and corruption in 2001. He worked as Professor at the University of Brazzaville and at University of Paris. He worked for UNESCO in Paris and Nairobi. He was honored with a doctoral degree in Biology.
11 - Writer Gail Sheehy passed away
Journalist, commentator and pop sociologist Gail Sheehy passed away at the age of 83 years. Her best-selling book "Passages: Predictable Crises of Adult Life" stayed on the New York Times best-seller list for three years.
Sheehy was seven-time recipient of New York Newswomen's Club Front Page Award for Distinguished Journalism. She received the 2011 American Society on Aging Leadership Award. Her honours included the National Magazine Award, the Anisfield-Wolf Book Award and a citation from the American Psychological Association.
12 - Computer Pioneer Arnold Spielberg passed away
Arnold Meyer Spielberg, a Pioneered computer designer & an innovative engineer passed away. His work was essential to the rise of personal computers in the 1970s and ‘80s. He designed the GE-225 mainframe computer in the late 1950s and developed the programming language BASIC which was essential for personal computers in the 1970s and 80s.
Spielberg was known for developing the GE-200 series of computers. He began building radios at the age of 9 years.
13 - ‘Black Panther’ star Chadwick Boseman passed away
‘Black Panther’ star Chadwick Boseman passed away at the age of 43 years. He will be most remebered for the role of King T'Challa in Black Panther. Black Panther was the first superhero film to get a nomination for best picture at the Oscars.
Boseman came to prominence playing real-life figures - baseball great Jackie Robinson in 2013's 42, and soul singer James Brown in 2014's Get on Up. He made his acting debut in the TV series “All My Children” in 2003.
14 - Former President Pranab Mukherjee passed away
Former President Pranab Mukherjee passed away at the age of 84 years. He served as 13th President of India from 2012 to 2017. He also served as Union Minister of Finance, Defence, External Affairs and Commerce.
Mr Mukherjee was also Deputy Chairman of Planning Commission. He was elected to Rajya Sabha five times and twice to Lok Sabha. He served as Leader of both houses of Parliament. In January 2019, Mukherjee was also named for the country’s highest civilian award Bharat Ratna.