Current Affairs June 2020 - Deaths
1 - Chhattisgarh's first CM Ajit Jogi passed away
Chhattisgarh’s first Chief Minister Ajit Jogi passed away at the age of 74 years. He helmed the first Congress government from November 2000 to November 2003. He parted ways with the Congress in 2016 and went on to form the Janata Congress Chhattisgarh (J).
Prior to joining politics, Ajit Jogi was selected for the Indian Police Service (IPS) and the Indian Administrative Service (IAS). He served as a district collector of Indore in Madhya Pradesh between 1981 and 1985.
2 - Former Olympic sprint champion Bobby Morrow passed away
Olympic sprint legend, Bobby Morrow, passed away at the age of 84 years. The Aerican won three gold medals at the 1956 Olympic Games in Melbourne. Morrow won the 100m, 200m and 4x100m relay in Melbourne, becoming the first man since fellow American Jesse Owens (1936) to do the sprint treble.
Carl Lewis (1984) and Usain Bolt (2012 and 2016) are the only other men to win the three sprint titles at the same Games. He was named Sports Illustrated's "Sportsman of the Year" in 1956 and set 11 ratified world records during his career.
3 - Veteran filmmaker Basu Chatterjee passed away
Veteran filmmaker Basu Chatterjee, known for his soulful cinema, passed away at the age of 93 years. Some of his best known works are "Us Paar", "Chitchor", "Rajnigandha", "Piya Ka Ghar", "Khatta Meetha", "Baton Baton Mein", “Swami”, “Apne Paraye” and “Shaukeen”.
In 1992, Basu Chatterjee won the National Film Award for best film on family welfare for Durga. Basu had a very close association with Doordarshan in which he directed its two iconic serials - Byomkesh Bakshi and Rajani.
4 - Hall of Famer, Bullets icon Wes Unseld passed away
Wes Unseld, the workmanlike Hall of Fame center who led Washington to its only NBA championship and was chosen one of the 50 greatest players in league history, passed away at the age 74 years. Unseld was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1988, his first year of eligibility.
Unseld was a five-time All-Star and, along with Wilt Chamberlain, one of only two players to win NBA Rookie of the Year and MVP honors in the same season. Unseld won a championship and a Finals MVP award in 1978.
5 - Former India footballer Hamza Koya passed away
Former Indian footballer Hamza Koya died of COVID-19 in Kerala. He was a former football player who had represented Maharashtra at the Santhosh Trophy from 1981 to 1986 and selected for Indian Soccer camp twice. He served as India team member in Nehru trophy. Hamza Koya played as a wing-back position.
In his two-decade-long sports career, Hamza Koya represented Calicut University during 1976-78, Western Railways, Union Bank, RCF,TATA Sports and Orkay mills from 1976 to 1996. He coached Orkay Silk Mills team for a short period.
6 - Former world gymnastics champion Kurt Thomas passes away
The first American male gymnast to win a world championship gold medal, Kurt Thomas passed away. He had won five world championship individual medals in 1979. He was a five-time NCAA champion at Indiana State University. He finished sixth in the all-around standings, based on his totals in the six individual events and his individual triumphs.
Thomas earned All-America honors 13 times in his career. He was the James E. Sullivan award winner in 1979, as well as the 1979 Nissen awardee. He featured in the 1985 film Gymkata, playing the role of an American gymnast.
7 - Burundi’s Incumbent President Pierre Nkurunziza passed away
The President of the Republic of Burundi, Pierre Nkurunziza passed away. He was known for his preaching and love of football. He received seven international awards for his peace-building efforts. He served as the ninth president of Burundi for almost 15 years from August 2005 until his death in June 2020. He was longest-serving president in the nation's history.
Burundi is a landlocked country in the Great Rift Valley where the African Great Lakes region and East Africa converge.
8 - European Cup winner Tony Dunne passed away
Manchester United's European Cup-winning defender Tony Dunne passed away. He had appeared in 535 matches for the Manchester United club. He had won the FA Cup in 1963 and the European Cup in 1968. He was part of Matt Busby's title-winning squads in 1965 and 1967. He was honored 33 times with ‘caps for the Republic of Ireland’ between 1962 and 1975, and was named Irish Footballer of the Year in 1969.
Tony served as an Assistant manager from 1979 to 1981 to Bolton and as Manager of Norwegian club Steinkjer FK in 1982–1983.
9 - Bollywood actor Sushant Singh Rajput passed away
Bollywood actor Sushant Singh Rajput passed away at the age of 34 years. The actor is known for his work in films like Chhichhore, MS Dhoni: The Untold Story and Detective Byomkesh Bakshy. He had forayed into acting with the lead role in the popular TV show "Pavitra Rishta".
Rajput had made his Bollywood debut with Abhishek Kapoor's "Kai Po Che" in 2013. He is known for his role as former Indian cricket team captain - Mahendra Singh Dhoni - in his biopic.
10 - Former New Zealand cricketer Matt Poore passed away
Former New Zealand Test cricketer Matt Poore passed away at the age of 90 years. He is remembered for catching a stray dog during a match in Bangalore in 1955 and subsequently taking 12 anti-rabies injection.
Poore played 14-Test matches between 1953 and 1956 alongside two greats Bert Sutcliffe and John Reid. He scored 355 runs at an average of 15.43 and his highest Test score was 45 against South Africa here in 1953.
11 - Maha Vir Chakra awardee Lt Gen Raj Mohan Vohra passed away
Maha Vir Chakra awardee Lt Col (retd) Raj Mohan Vohra passed away at the age 88 years. He was a 1971 war hero. He had received the coveted Maha Vir Chakra (MVC) award in 1972. He had commanded the elite Hodson's Horse in the Shakargarh Sector during the Indo-Pak War of 1971.
The Maha Vir Chakra (MVC) is the country's second highest gallantry award. It is awarded for acts of conspicuous gallantry in the presence of enemy whether on land, at sea or in the air.
12 - Senior journalist, freedom fighter Dinu Randive passed away
Senior journalist and freedom fighter from Maharashtra, Dinu Randive passed away at the age of 95 years. Mr. Randive played a key role in the struggle movement to carve out Maharashtra state called Samyukta Maharashtra movement. He also participated in the Goa liberation movement.
Mr. Randive started his journalistic career in 1956. He was conferred with the lifetime achievement award by the Mantralaya and Vidhimandal Vartahar Sangh, an association of journalists covering Maharashtra legislature and secretariat.
13 - Veteran economist BPR Vithal Baru passed away
Veteran economist and retired IAS officer BPR Vithal Baru passed away at the age of 93 years. He is regarded as a pioneer of reforms in public finance. He was a 1950 batch IAS officer.
Vithal Baru was Secretary, Finance and Planning, Government of Andhra Pradesh, from 1972 to 1982 and Deputy Chairman, State Planning Board and Member, Tenth Finance Commission. He was also Chairman, Expenditure Commission of Government of Kerala. He established the Centre for Economic and Social Studies, Hyderabad.
14 - Social worker and activist Vidyaben Shah passed away
Renowned Indian social worker and activist, Vidyaben Shah, passed away at the age of 98 years. She is known for her work with children, women and the elderly. She was honoured with the Padma Shri in 1992 and the National Award by Government of India in 1986, for outstanding services in the field of Child Welfare.
Vidyaben Shah established India’s first ever Bal Bhavan in Rajkot in the 1940s. She was the 1st non-official head of the New Delhi Municipal Council in the 1970s.
15 - Domestic cricket stalwart Rajinder Goel passed away
Former left-arm spin legend Rajinder Goel passed away at the age of 77 years. He holds the record for the highest Ranji Trophy wicket haul of 637 scalps. Goel finished with 750 first-class wickets.
Goel never managed to break into the Indian team. He received the CK Nayudu Lifetime Achievement Award in 2017 from the BCCI for his service to Indian cricket. Rajinder Goel went on to serve as the chairman of BCCI's national junior selection committee and the chairman of the Haryana selection committee.
16 - Former India shooter Pournima Zanane passed away
Former India shooter Pournima Zanane passed away at the age of 42 years. Zanane had been suffering from cancer for the past two years. She was an International Shooting Sport Federation-licenced coach. Zanane had represented India at multiple ISSF World Cups, Asian Championships, Commonwealth Championships, among others.
Zanane was a national record holder in 10m air rifle event. She was honoured with the Shiv Chhatrapati Sports award by the Maharashtra government.
17 - 'Batman' director Joel Schumacher passed away
Hollywood film director, Joel Schumacher, passed away at the age of 80 years. He is credited for having directed films such as “St. Elmo’s Fire,” “The Lost Boys” and “Falling Down,” as well as two “Batman” films.
Camerimage, the International Film Festival of the Art of Cinematography, awarded Schumacher a special award in 2010. He also received the Distinguished Collaborator Award at the Costume Designers Guild Awards in 2011.
18 - Vir Chakra awardee Sqn. Ldr. Parvez Jamasji passed away
Squadron Leader Parvez Jamasji (retd), who was awarded the Vir Chakra for gallantry during the 1971 Indo-Pakistan war, passed away. He was commissioned in 1965 and retired in 1985. During Indo-Pakistan war, Flight Lieutenant Parvez Rustom Jamasji was serving with a helicopter unit where his helicopter was attacked twice by machine gun and twice by mortars.
Parvez was honored with Vir Chakra for bringing helicopter safely to a post within our territory when his helicopter had engine failure over enemy position, during 1971 Indo-Pakistan war.
