A last farewell to those we lost in 2013
As the year winds to a close, we say a final goodbye to those we lost in 2013. Among them, the iconic Nelson Mandela, Bollywood legends Pran, Manna Dey and Shamshad Begum, Britain's Iron Lady Margaret Thatcher, and technology pioneer Amar Bose.
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1. Aaron Swartz, January 11: The internet activist, 26, hanged himself in his New York apartment just weeks before he was to go on trial after being accused of stealing journal articles from an electronic archive in an attempt to make them freely available. He was posthumously inducted into the Internet Hall of Fame in June.
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Hugo Chavez, March 5: The late President of Venezuela died after battling cancer for almost two years. After being dissatisfied with the Venezuelan political system, Hugo Chavez founded his own socialist political party and was elected President for the fourth term on January 10 this year.
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Ganesh Pyne, March 12: The legendary painter died of a heart attack in Kolkata. Mr Pyne's paintings were exhibited round the world in his career spanning almost five decades. He was honoured with the lifetime achievement award by Indian Chamber of Commerce in 2012.
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Shakuntala Devi, April 22: The mathematical genius, who was nicknamed “the human computer” for her ability to solve complex mental calculations, died of critical respiratory problems at the age of 80. Apart from writing several books, Shakuntala Devi made it to the Guinness Book of World Records for her talent.
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Shamshad Begum, April 24: One of the first playback singers of the Hindi film industry, Shamshad Begum died in Mumbai after a long illness. She was known for her distinctive voice in hits like Kahin Pe Nigahen Kahin Pe Nishana and Saiyan Dil Mein Aana Re.
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Ustad Zia Fariduddin Dagar, May 9: The popular dhrupad vocalist died at the age of 80 after a brief illness. He played a pivotal role in reviving the dhrupad tradition and was also honoured with the Sangeet Natak Academy Fellowship, Tagore Ratna Award and Tansen Samman during his lifetime.
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Jagdish Mali, May 13: The fashion and film photographer died in Mumbai at the age of 59. The cause of death was unclear. Father of former Bollywood actress Antara, Mr Mali was said to have been found roaming disoriented and disheveled on the streets of Mumbai a few days before his death.
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Jiah Khan, June 3: The Nishabd actress was found hanged in her Mumbai home late at night. She was 25. Aspiring actor Suraj Pancholi, her ex-boyfriend, was arrested and charged with abetting her death. He was later released on bail but the investigation into Jiah's death continues after her mother filed a petition asking that the death be treated as murder and not suicide.
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Sir David Frost, September 1: Famous for having interviewed Richard Nixon about the Watergate scandal, Sir David died of a heart attack at the age of 74. The world leaders he interviewed included eight British Prime Ministers, seven US Presidents and Pakistan's Benazir Bhutto.
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Manna Dey, October 24: The last of the greats from the golden age of Bollywood music, Manna Dey died of respiratory problem and renal failure in Bangalore. The Padma Shri, Padma Bhushan and Dadasaheb Phalke awardee was beloved for hits like Ae Meri Zohrajabeen, Ek Chatur Naar and Zindagi Kaise Hai Paheli.
