2013

Another year has come and gone by. We are

already in the New Year and everything that will make it memorable. But first, let’s look at those

who made 2013 noteworthy for us.

The year 2013, like any other year, was eventful and more. It had its ups and downs, and causes for celebrations and mourning. It gave us a peek into the discoveries that expanded our intellectual horizons, and disasters that broke our hearts, making us conscious of our actions and the fleeting moments in life. Other than the events that made the year special, there were many people who made news. Some were in the news for the wrong reasons while others made some significant impact on our lives and ideals. Let’s take a look at some people who were in the spotlight.

Snowden exposed the mass surveillance programme PRISM – operated by America National Security Agency (NSA) that collected private electronic data (including personal emails and chats) of billions of internet users around the world. Edward Snowden released top-secret documents to the press and left the US fearing prosecution. He is currently in Russia seeking asylum elsewhere.

C.N.R. RAO

Chintamani Nagesa Ramachandra Rao is an Indian scientist and chemist known for his work in solid state chemistry. It was announced this year that he would be conferred with the Bharat Ratna for his contribution to the scientific community.

SACHIN TENDULKAR

Sachin Tendulkar annouced his retirement from all forms of the sport after playing his 200th test. The Indian government has decided to confer him with the Bharat Ratna, making him the youngest recipient of the award.

MARGARET THATCHER

Margaret Thatcher, the former Prime Minister of Britain, died on April 8, 2013. She was UK’s longest serving PM and the only woman to have held the office from 1979 to 1990.

ALICE MUNRO

Alice Munro is the first Canadian and 13th woman to receive the Nobel Prize for Literature. She is primarily known for her short stories and is cited as a “master of contemporary short story”.

MAGNUS CARLSEN

Twenty-three year old Magnus Carlsen of Norway was crowned the new chess champion after beating India’s Viswanathan Anand in the World Chess Championship 2013 in Chennai.

SHANKUNTALA DEVI

Shankuntala Devi died on April 21, 2013. Known as the human computer, her arithmetic talents and mental abilities are revered by around the world including Google, which honoured Devi with a Google Doodle on her birthday on November 4.

ARVIND KEJRIWAL

Arvind Kejriwal hit the headlines when he won the Delhi Legislative Assembly by polls and was sworn in as the Chief Minister. He is the youngest CM of Delhi at the age of 45 years. Last year, he had formed the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), which recently won 28 seats in the Delhi elections.

NELSON MANDELA

Nelson Mandela, former South African president, messenger of global peace and anti-apartheid revolutionary, died on December 5, 2013. He spent 27 years in prison for his fight to end apartheid (racial division).