The year 2013 saw the loss of many great leaders and veteran journalists. Clockwise from top: Nelson Mandela, Hugo Chavez, Margaret Thatcher, Helen Thomas and David Frost
Socialist reformer, Hugo Rafael Chavez (July 1954 – March 2013) was the President of Venezuela from 1999 to 2013, until his death. A gifted orator, Chavez started his political career in early 1980s, started the Revolutionary Bolivarian Movement and followed the political ideology of Bolivarianism and ‘Socialism of 21st century’. Photo: AP
– The British politician Margaret Thatcher (October 1925 – April 2013) also known as the ‘Iron Lady’ started her political career in 1950s. She was the longest serving British Prime Minister of 20th century holding the office from 1979 – 1990 and also the only woman to hold the office. Her policies were known as Thatcherism. Photo: AP
The East German long jumper, Angela Viogt (May 1951 – April 2013) won Olympic gold in 1976 setting a world record of 6.92 meters and retired in 1982. Photo: Special Arrangement
George Jones (September 1931 – April 2013), an American musician, singer and song writer was popularly called as ‘The Possum’ or ‘No Show Jones’. Known for his stylish and emotional singing, George is referred to as the greatest country singer. Some of his hits include ‘White Lighting’, ‘Why Baby Why’ and ‘Choices’ – for which he won Grammy in 1999. Photo: AP
Described as ‘Renaissance man’, British Director Bryan Forbes (July 1926 – May 2013) is best known for his direction in ‘The Stepford Wives’. One of the important figures in British film industry, Bryan was a director, actor, screenwriter, film producer and a novelist. Photo: The Hindu Archives
The Scottish writer, Iain Banks (February 1954 - June 2013) became a full time writer after the success of 'The Wasp Factory'. Best known for novels like 'The Crow Road' and 'Complicity', Banks was also a science fiction writer under the name Iain M. Banks. Photo: AP
Tom Sharpe (March 1928 – June 2013) became one of Britain’s popular comic novelists with ‘Blott on the Landscape’, the ‘Wilt’ series about a long-suffering college lecturer and ‘Porterhouse Blue’, set in a fictitious Cambridge University college. He is known for his ability to satirise everything from apartheid to academe in a series of best-sellers. Photo: AP
'Enter the Dragon' fame Jim Kelly (May 1946 – June 2013) was an American athlete, actor and a martial artist. Becoming the first Black martial arts film star, some of his notable works include Black Belt Jones and Melinda. Photo: AP
The American engineer and the mouse inventor, Douglas Engelbart (January 1925 – July 2013), is best known for his works on human-computer interaction. Douglas once said all his works were all about augmenting human intellect and making computers user-friendly. Photo: AP
Indian-American entrepreneur, Amar Gopal Bose (November 1929 – July 2013) was behind the revolutionary sound systems of Bose Corporation. The professor of Massachutsettes Institute of Technology was awarded a Fellow by IEEE for his contributions to loudspeaker design, two-state amplifier modulators and nonlinear systems. Photo: AP
One of the best known journalists, Helen Thomas (August 1920 – July 2013), was the first female White House correspondent and an author. She has covered the administrations of 11 U.S. Presidents till Obama’s second term and known for covering hard news of the White House breaking on the equal footing with men. Photo: AP
Karen Black (July 1939 – August 2013) was an Oscar nominated actress, screenwriter, singer and songwriter. She is known for her appearances in films like Easy Rider, Five Easy Pieces, The Great Gatsby and Airport 1975. Photo: AP
Irish poet Seamus Heaney (April 1939 – August 2013) was a playwright, translator and the recipient of Nobel Prize for Literature in 1995. Often described as one of the best known poets in the world, Seamus was made the Commandeur de l’Ordre des Arts et Lettres in 1996. Photo: AP
Veteran British journalist and broadcaster David Frost (April 1939 – August 2013) is widely known for his TV interviews with former President Richard Nixon (right). He spent more than 50 years as a television star. Seen in picture is former US President Richard M. Nixon (right), with broadcaster David Frost in California in 1977. Photo: AP
Rochus Misch (July 1917 – September 2013) served as a courier, body guard and telephone operator for German leader Adolf Hitler from 1940 – 1945. He was the last surviving witness of Hitler’s final hours and last survivor among the occupants of Furherbunker in the final days of Europe war. Photo: AP
American author Tom Clancy (April 1947 – October 2013) was an historian too and most of his novels revolved around espionage and military science set around the Cold War. Seventeen of his novels were bestsellers with more than 100 million copies in print. Some of his notable works include The Hunt for Red October, Threat Vector, Dead or Alive and Patriot Games. Photo: AP
Vo Nguyen Giap (August 1911 – October 2013) was a General in the Vietnam People’s Army who grew to prominence during World War II. General Giap was also a journalist and interior minister in President Ho Chi Minh’s regime and Commander of the Vietnam People’s Army. Photo: AP
Pakistani folk singer (1947 – November 2013) was the recipient of Sitara-e-Imtiaz, the third highest civilian award by State of Pakistan. She has also sung in Bollywood movies and a few of her memorable songs are ‘Dama Dam Mast Kalandar’, ‘Hai O Rabba nahion lagda dil mera’, ‘Sun charkhe di mithi mithi cook mahiya meinu yaad aunda’, ‘Wey main chori chori’, and ‘Ankhiyan no rehen de ankhyan de kol kol’. Photo: R. V. Moorthy
Doris Lessing (October 1919 – November 2013), the author of "The Golden Notebook", was awarded Nobel Prize for Literature. In over 55 books, Lessing has explored topics ranging from colonial Africa to Britian, from the mystery of being female to the world of science fiction. Photo: AP
The ‘Fast and Furious’ fame Paul Walker (September 1973 – November 2013), became famous in 1999 after his role in the film ‘Varsity Blues’. The American actor died in a car crash. His other notable films are Eight Below, Joy Ride and Into the Blue. Photo: AP
The anti-apartheid icon, Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela (July 1918 – December 2013) was the first democratically elected President of South Africa. The South African revolutionary, who spent 27 years in jail, was the president of African National Congress and Secretary General of Non-Aligned Movement. Madiba, as he is fondly known, was honoured with many awards including the Nobel Peace Prize in 1993. Photo: AP