JANUARY

 DEATHS

   

Ø  Founder of IKEA, Ingvar Kamprad passes away

Ø  Ingvar Kamprad, the Founder of Swedish furniture giant Ikea, died at the age of 91 at his home. Kamprad was the world’s eighth-richest person with a net worth of $58.7 billion. He had founded Ikea at the age of 17, building it into the world’s largest furniture retailer.

Ø  India’s Green Revolution pioneer Dr Gurcharan Singh Kalkat passes away

Ø  Noted agricultural scientist and pioneer of India’s Green Revolution, Gurcharan Singh Kalkat (92), passed away in Chandigarh after a brief illness. He was known for his role in bringing Green Revolution and several exemplary agricultural reforms in Punjab. His contribution had ensured overall development and a phenomenal growth in the agriculture sector.

Ø  Ursula K. Le Guin, best-selling science fiction author passes away

Ø  Ursula K. Le Guin, the award-winning science fiction and fantasy writer who explored feminist themes and was best known for her Earthsea books, has passed away at the age of 88. Le Guin won an honorary National Book Award in 2014. Le Guin’s first novel was Roncannon’s World in 1966. Her book, ‘The Left Hand of Darkness’ won the Hugo and Nebula awards top science fiction prizes.

Ø  Hugh Masekela, ‘Father of South African Jazz’ passes away

Ø  Trumpeter, composer and singer Hugh Masekela, affectionately known as the ‘father of South African jazz’, has died after a long battle with prostate cancer. He was 78. In a career spanning more than five decades, Masekela gained international recognition with his distinctive Afro-Jazz sound. He opened the 2010 FIFA World Cup Kick-Off Concert and performed at the event’s opening ceremony in Johannesburg Soccer City stadium.

Ø  Cartoonist Chandi Lahiri passes away

Ø  Eminent cartoonist Chandi Lahiri passed away in Kolkata following respiratory complication. His cartoons reflected the socio-political situation in West Bengal and the entire country for over 50 years. His distinctive style made him an institution & his cartoons were used even in various govt campaigns. Lahiri had also penned several books on cartoons, including ‘Bangla Cartooner Itihas’.

Ø  Hall of Famer Jo Jo White passes away

Ø  Basketball Hall of Famer Jo Jo White, a two-time NBA champion with the Boston Celtics and an Olympic gold medalist, has passed away. He was 71. White played 10 seasons for Boston, which drafted him ninth overall from Kansas in 1969.

Ø  Kapil Mohan, creator of Old Monk rum passes away

Ø  Kapil Mohan, the creator of iconic Old Monk rum, passed away at the age of 88. He was the chairperson and managing director of the Mohan meakin brewery. He was awarded India’s fourth highest civilian award Padma Shri in 2010. The iconic Old Monk was launched on December 19, 1954.

Ø  Peter Sutherland, 1st WTO Director-General passes away

Ø  Peter Sutherland, the first Director-General of the World Trade Organization (WTO), has passed away in Dublin, Ireland. He was 71. Mr Sutherland became Ireland’s Attorney General in 1981 and served as the European Commissioner for Competition from 1985 to 1989. He left the WTO in 1995.

Ø  World Champion Powerlifter Saksham Yadav passes away

Ø  World champion Saksham Yadav succumbed to his injuries at the AIIMS Trauma Centre in New Delhi. He died of a cardiac arrest. Saksham, who won a gold medal in the 2017 world weightlifting championship for India, was seriously injured along with another weightlifter named Rohit. Five men, including Saksham, have died while one other person continues to battle for life after their car met with an accident near the Delhi-Haryana border.

Ø  Lagaan actor Shrivallabh Vyas passes away

Ø  Lagaan actor Shrivallabh Vyas has passed away. He had appeared in over 60 Hindi films, with occasional stints in regional cinema, television and theatre.

Ø  Former President of Japan’s Toyota dies at 88

Ø  Toyota’s Former President Tatsuro Toyoda, who helped the Japanese auto giant establish a foothold in North America, has died at the age of 88. Toyoda joined the company founded by his father Kiichiro Toyoda in 1953 and in 1984 became the first president of a new firm formed by Toyota and General Motors. Toyoda served as Toyota president between 1992 and 1995.

Ø  NASA’s Astronaut John Young Passes Away

Ø  Legendary astronaut John Young, who walked on the Moon and later commanded the first space shuttle flight, has died at 87. Young was the only agency astronaut to go into space as part of the Gemini, Apollo and space shuttle programs and the first to fly into space six times. He was the ninth man to walk on the Moon.

Ø  Vocalist Radha Vishwanathan passes away

Ø  Carnatic vocalist Radha Vishwanathan (83), daughter of M.S. Subbulakshmi, who accompanied the legendary queen of music for nearly 5 decades on stage has passed away. She was suffering from pneumonia for the last few weeks. She was the eldest daughter of Thiagarajan Sadasivam and his first wife, Apithakuchambal (alias Parvathi). However, she was brought up by M. S. Subbulakshmi whom her father married after the death of Apithakuchambal from a scorpion sting.