Current Affairs March 2020 - Deaths

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1 - Dronacharya awardee athletics coach Joginder Singh Saini passed away

Veteran athletics coach and Dronacharya awardee Joginder Singh Saini, who groomed some of India's finest track and field stars, passed away at the age of 90 years. He was the chief national athletics coach for many years from the 1970s to 90s.

Saini received the Dronacharya Award in 1997 for his contribution to Indian athletics. He was the chief coach of the Indian athletics team which won 18 medals, including eight golds, at the 1978 Asian Games.

2 - Former UN Chief Javier Perez de Cuellar passed away

Former UN Chief Javier Perez de Cuellar, who served as United Nations Secretary General from 1981 to 1991, passed away. Perez de Cuellar notably led the world body during the Iran-Iraq war and the civil war in El Salvador. He served as the president of the UN Security Council from 1973 to 1974. He held various high level positions in Peru’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, including Permanent Representative to the United Nations in 1971.

Perez was honored with Prince of Asturias Prize for the promotion of Ibero-American cooperation in 1987.

3 - Former India hockey player Balbir Singh Kullar passed away

Former India hockey player Balbir Singh Kullar, who was a part of the 1968 Olympics bronze-winning team passed away. He served as member of the Indian team that won the Asian Games gold in 1966 at Bangkok and the Olympic Bronze in 1968 in Mexico. He played his first international game in 1963 at Lyons in France.

Balbir Singh became an Indian Police Service officer in 1987 and retired as a Deputy Inspector General (DIG) in February 2001. Balbir was honored with Padma Shri in 2009 and Arjuna Award in 1999.

4 - Legendary Swedish Actor Max Von Sydow passed away

Legendary Swedish Actor Max Von Sydow passed away at the age of 90 years. He was nominated for two Oscars during his career - including best actor in 1988 for Pelle the Conqueror.

Max Von Sydow appeared in films and TV series including The Exorcist, Flash Gordon and Game of Thrones. His other film credits included Hannah and Her Sisters, The Seventh Seal and Star Wars: The Force Awakens.

5 - Designer of Barcelona Olympic stadium died of Covid-19

Vittorio Gregotti, an Italian architect who designed the 1992 Barcelona Summer Olympics stadium, died of covid-19 at the age of 92 years. He died of pneumonia after being hospitalised in Milan having contracted COVID-19.

Gregotti also designed the Arcimboldi Opera Theatre in Milan, a futuristic structure built to allow the opera season to continue while the La Scala underwent renovation in 2002-2004. His studio also designed Pujiang New Town in Shanghai, China, a new town with an Italian architectural theme.

6 - Veteran Bengali actor Santu Mukhopadhyay passed away

Veteran Bengali actor Santu Mukhopadhyay passed away at the age of 69 years. He was known for his works in films such as "Sansar Simante" and "Bhalobasa Bhalobasa". Mukhopadhyay was also a familiar face on small screen. He worked in soaps like 'Isthi Kutum', 'Jol Nupur' and 'Andarmahal'.

His other popular films includes Raja, Ganadevata and Byapika Biday. His other popular films includes Raja, Ganadevata and Byapika Biday.

7 - Czech Olympic javelin champion Dana Zatopkova passed away

Czech javelin champion Dana Zatopkova passed away at the age of 97 years. She had won an Olympic gold medal on the same day her husband did at the 1952 games in Helsinki with a throw beyond 50 metres. Her husband, Emil Zatopek, won the 5,000 metres race.

Zatopkova added another Olympic medal, a silver, in Rome in 1960. She also won the European championships in 1954 and 1958. In 1958, she set the world record of 55.73 metres at the age of 35.

8 - Indian football Legend P K Banerjee passed away

Legendary Indian footballer P K Banerjee passed away at the age of 83 years. He won the gold medal in the 1962 Asian Games in Jakarta, Indonesia. He scored 65 international goals in 84 appearances for the national team. Banerjee led India in the 1960 Rome Olympics.

Banerjee represented India in the 1956 Melbourne Olympics and played a key role in their 4-2 win over Australia in the quarterfinals. FIFA awarded him the Centennial Order of Merit in 2004. He was conferred with Arjun award and Padmshree.

9 - Former world champion boxer Roger Mayweather passed away

Two-time world champion Roger Mayweather passed away. He was popularly known as the trainer of his nephew Floyd Mayweather Jr. He was a world champion boxer in two weight classes ie. category of 130 and 140 pounds.

Roger began his 18-year career in 1981. He won his first 17 career fights and captured the world title in World Boxing Association junior lightweight and earned the World Boxing Council junior welterweight title in 1987.

10 - Veteran journalist Patil Puttappa passed away

Veteran journalist and former Rajya Sabha member Patil Puttappa passed away. He was a popular writer, journalist and a hardcore Kannada activist. He served as first president of the Kannada Watchdog Committee and was also the founder-president of the Border Advisory Committee.

Patil was a member of Rajyasabha for two terms between 1962 and 1974. Patil was popularly known as "PaPu", for being founder-editor of weekly "Prapancha". He also wrote columns in various dailies and edited “Navayuga”.

11 - Veteran poet Puthussery Ramachandran passed away

Famous poet and Malayalam scholar Puthussery Ramachandran passed away. He was a scholar of Dravidian linguistics and a professor of Malayalam for more than three decades. He worked as Organizing Secretary of the First All India Conference on Dravidian Linguistics in 1971 and as General Secretary of First World Conference on Malayalam language.

Some of his best poetries were Grameena Gayakan, Sakthipooja, Utsavabali, Agnaye Swaha etc. He was honored with 2009 Kerala Sahitya Akademi and Bhasha Samman.

12 - Veteran director M.R. Viswanthan passed away

Veteran director Meenakshi Sundaram Ramasamy Viswanthan, popularly known as Visu in the Tamil film industry passed away. He was an actor, director and writer who also hosted live-debates on television. He acted in over 60 films and directed around 25 films. Some of his popular films were 'Netrikann', 'ThilluMullu', 'NallavanukkuNallavan', and 'MrBharath'. He started his career as an assistant under the legendary filmmaker K Balachander.

Visu's movie 'Samsaram Adhu Minsaram' was the first Tamil film to be honored with the National Award for best popular film.

13 - American singer Kenny Rogers passed away

Kenny Rogers, whose legendary music career spanned six decades passed away. American music legend Kenny Rogers was popularly known worldwide for his global hits such as “The Gambler”, “Lady”, “Lucille” and “Islands in the Stream”. He embraced his persona as "The Gambler'' on record and on TV.

Kenny was honored with three Grammys Awards and six-time Country Music Awards. He was inducted to the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2013. He had 24 No. 1 hits and through his career more than 50 million albums sold in the US alone.

14 - Former footballer Abdul Latif passed away

Former India footballer Abdul Latif passed away at the age of 73 years. He played as a midfielder and represented India in the 1970 Asian Games where the team won a bronze. He was also represented India in Asia Cup Qualifier in 1968 in Myanmar and Merdeka Cup in 1969 in Kuala Lumpur.

Latif represented Mohammedan Sporting from 1963-1967 and later took over as coach. Latif was also the coach of the Assam team which won the junior and the sub-junior national titles under his guidance.

15 - Former Union Minister Beni Prasad Verma passed away

Former Union Minister and Samajwadi Party leader Beni Prasad Verma passed away at the age of 79 years. He was a founding member of the Samajwadi Party. Verma was a Lok Sabha member from 1996 to 2014.

Verma served as the Union Communications Minister in Deve Gowda's cabinet from 1996–98. On July 2011, he was appointed the Steel Minister in Manmohan Singh Government. Verma briefly joined the Congress party in 2009 but returned to the fold of the Samajwadi Party in 2016.

16 - Brahma Kumari's Chief Dadi Janki passed away

Rajyogini Dadi Janki, the Chief of Brahmakumaris Sansthan passed away at the age of 104 years. She had embraced the spiritual path at the age of 21. In 1970s, she moved to western countries to establish Indian philosophy, Raj Yoga and human values. She had set up 'Seva Kendras' in 140 countries around the world.

Brahmakumaris Sansthan is the world's largest spiritual organization run by women.

17 - “Asterix and Obelix” co-creator Albert Uderzo passed away

Albert Uderzo, the co-creator and illustrator of the “Asterix and Obelix” comics passed away at the age of 92 years. Uderzo created Asterix in 1959 with the fellow Frenchman and writer Rene Goscinny, who brought them to life in the French-Belgian comics magazine Pilote.

In 1966, France’s first space satellite was named Asterix. The series has been translated into more than 100 languages and dialects and has sold more than 380 million copies since its debut.

18 - Veteran Hindi film actress Nimmi passed away

Veteran Hindi film actress Nimmi passed away at the age of 88 years. She was the star of 1950s and '60s Hindi movies such as 'Aan', 'Barsaat' and 'Deedar'.

Born as Nawab Banoo, she made her debut in Raj Kapoor’s Barsaat. She was christened ‘Nimmi’ by Raj Kapoor. Nimmi worked with top actors of her era, including Raj Kapoor, Dilip Kumar, Dev Anand and Ashok Kumar.

19 - Veteran US civil rights leader Joseph Lowery passed away

Joseph Lowery, a veteran US civil rights leader passed away. He helped the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. found the Southern Christian Leadership Conference and fought against racial discrimination. Joseph Lowery helped establish an African-American civil rights organization set up to promote racial equality.

Joseph was honored with “Presidential Medal of Freedom”, the nation’s highest civilian honour, by former President Barack Obama in 2009 and with Fred L. Shuttlesworth Human Rights Award in 2009. He served as President from 1977 to 1997.

20 - Veteran artist and architect Satish Gujral passes away

Satish Gujral, one of India's best known artists and architects passed away. Some of his best works include alphabet mural on the outside wall of the Delhi High Court, design of Belgian embassy in Delhi and Goa University and design of various other buildings, including the summer palace in Riyadh and the UNESCO building in Delhi.

Satish Gujral was honored with India’s second-highest civilian award, Padma Vibhushan in 1999 and with NDTV Indian of the Year Award in 2014.

21 - Renowned chef Floyd Cardoz passed away

Indian-born international chef Floyd Cardoz passed away due to Covid-19 in the USA. He was honored with Bravo's "Top Chef Masters in 2011. He penned two books “One Spice, Two Spice” and “Flavorwalla.” Floyd Cardoz was known for creating fusion of regional Indian cuisine with French and new American flavors.

Cardoz was a four-time James Beard Award nominee. He was co-founder in Bombay Sweet Shop, O Pedro, and The Bombay Canteen in India.

22 - Veteran photographer Nemai Ghosh passed away

Veteran photographer Nemai Ghosh passed away. He was popular known for working with director Satyajit Ray as a still photographer who captured in different moods at sets besides the director, framing actors over 2 decades. He penned books like, “Dramatic Moments: Photographs and Memories of Calcutta Theatre from the Sixties to the Nineties” & “Manik Da: Memoirs of Satyajit Ray” among others.

Nemai Ghosh served as a jury member at the 2007 National Film Awards and was honored with Padma Shri by Government of India in 2010.