The Milestones

Hemu Adhikari, cricketer, 85; Gianni Agnelli, industrialist, 81; Idi Amin, Uganda dictator, 78; Pandurang Shastri Athavale, social activist, 84; Harivanshrai Bachchan, poet, 93; Pandari Bai, actress, 74; Rajendra Singh, RSS leader, 81; 

Dolly the sheep, 6; Anil Biswas, music composer, 89; Louise Brown, test tube baby, 25; Janaki Das, actor, 93; Balwant Gargi, playwright, 87; Althea Gibson, black tennis pioneer, 76; 

Concorde , supersonic plane, 27; Bob Hope, comedian, 100; Semmangudi Srinivasa Iyer, Carnatic vocalist, 95; Wilson Jones, billiards champion, 81; Madame Chiang Kai-shek, 106; 

Gregory peck, actor, 87; A.M. Khusro, economist, 79; Henning Holck-Larsen, entrepreneur, 95; Herbie Mann, jazz flutist, 73; Mark MacCormack, sports agent, 72; Daniel P. Moynihan, 
ex-ambassador, 76; C.V. Narasimhan, UN diplomat, 88; Haren Pandya, politician, 43; Mahant Ramachandra Das Paramhans, 90; 

Katherine Hepburn, actress, 96; G.S. Ramchand, cricketer, 76; Edward Said, scholar, 68; Bhabendranath Saikia, filmmaker, 71; Shunu Sen, marketing guru, 63; 

B.C. Sanyal, artist, 102; Walter

Sisulu, apartheid veteran, 91; K. Suryanarayana, presidential press secretary, 71; 
R.K. Swamy, 
ad guru, 80; Leon Uris, 
author, 78; Johnny Walker, Bollywood comedian, 79 

Kalpana Chawla
The Karnal-born aerospace engineer was among seven astronauts who died in the Columbia space shuttle accident in February. A space ‘veteran’, she’s the only South Asian to take part in US missions. PS: Rock legends Deep Purple, of whom she was a massive fan, have a tribute song for her, Lost Contact, in their new album Bananas. 

CEC James Michael Lyngdoh “for his convincing validation of free and fair elections as the foundation and best hope of secular democracy.” To get there, he’s had many run-ins with the ruling ‘elite’.

Uncle Sam, Please To Note
Fidel Castro, 76, is re-elected for a sixth consecutive term as Cuban head of state. In his 44th year in power, he’s survived communism’s collapse, US sanctions, assassination attempts...

AND THE PEACE NOBEL 
GOES TO...

Rights activist and lawyer Shirin Ebadi, one of Iran’s first female judges before the ’79 revolution. 
She has since defended many of its victims.

Pace aces Javagal Srinath, Wasim Akram, Alan Donald bid goodbye. Behind the stumps, Alec Stewa

The Taj Mahal Hotel in Mumbai turned 100; Sam Manekshaw has turned 90; Lata Mangeshkar turned 75; and younger sis Asha Bhonsle turned 70...