New Delhi: The year 2021 saw us say goodbye to many influential people around the world, from Colin Powell to Desmond Tutu and from the fields of arts and entertainment to politics. As this year draws to a close, let’s take a moment to take a look at some of the veterans.
1. Larry King (November 19, 1933 – January 23, 2021): The host of the popular American television talk show, ‘The Larry King Show’, Larry began his career as a local journalist. He hosted a bunch of television shows and made a name for himself in Hollywood. Popular talk show host succumbs to Covid-19.
2. Millie Hughes-Fulford (December 21, 1945 – February 9, 2021): The first woman payload specialist to fly in space for NASA breathed her last after a year-long battle with cancer. Hughes was selected by NASA for its astronaut program in 1983 and 1991, where he and his other teammates spent nine days in orbit around the shuttle Columbia.
3. Christopher Plummer (December 13, 1929 – February 5, 2021): The Canadian Oscar-winning actor passed away at the age of 91 at his home in Connecticut. He played Captain von Trapp in the film “The Sound of Music” and at the age of 82, became the oldest actor to win an Academy Award.
4. Prince Philip (June 10, 1921 – April 9, 2021): The Duke of Edinburgh and husband of Queen Elizabeth II died on 9 April. Originally from Danish and Greek families, Philip was the nephew of Louis Mountbatten, who was the Governor-General of India at the time of independence.
5. Michael Collins (October 31, 1930 – April 28, 2021): The Apollo 11 astronaut who orbited the moon alone died of cancer. While Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin made the historic moon landing, Collins orbited alone.
6. Maki Qazi (8 October 1951 – 10 August 2021): The Japanese businessman who created the popular number puzzle Sudoku has died of cancer of the bile duct. Known as the “Godfather of Sudoku”, Kaji was the chief executive officer of his puzzle company, the Nikoli Company.
7. Abdul Qadir Khan (April 1, 1936 – October 10, 2021): Abdul Qadir Khan, who was called the father of the atomic bomb, died of Kovid-19 after a long illness.
8. Omar Sharif (April 19, 1960 – October 2, 2021): Pakistani comedian Umar Sharif, who was equally loved by Indians, was suffering from heart and kidney ailments. An actor, director and producer, Sharif was known for his satire and shows like ‘The Sharif Show’ and ‘Bakra Kistan Pe’.
9. Colin Powell (April 5, 1937 – October 18, 2021): A Vietnam War veteran and a diplomat, Powell passed away due to COVID-19 complications. His reputation was tainted after he made false claims to justify the 2003 US war in Iraq.
10. Joan Didion (December 5, 1934 – December 23, 2021): American writer and essayist breathed his last at the age of 87. His precise social and personal commentary on classics such as “The White Album” and “The Year of Magical Thinking” made him a distinctly outspoken critic of turbulent times.
11. Desmond Tutu (October 7, 1931 – December 26, 2021): South African anti-apartheid icon breathed his last in Cape Town at the age of 90. A Nobel laureate known for his anti-apartheid activism, Tutu succumbed to prostate cancer.
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