Among the highest-profile figures to flee the Soviet Union, he brought with him a secret weapon and firsthand experience behind the Iron Curtain.
Author: Clay Risen
Laszlo Solyom, a Transitional President of Hungary, Dies at 81
A noted legal scholar, he helped lead his country away from Communism after the fall of the Soviet bloc but could not stop its embrace of right-wing populism.
Jango Edwards, Clown Who Challenged His Art Form, Dies at 73
More Frank Zappa than Ronald McDonald, he moved the field beyond red noses, infusing it with social commentary while breaking down walls of propriety.
Hugo Blanco, Environment Activist Who Targeted Capitalism, Dies at 88
In Peru, he argued that global capitalism was at the root of the global ecological crisis, and he spent decades fighting for an alternative.
Isabel Crook, 107, Dies; Her Life in China Spanned a Century of Change
A noted educator and anthropologist, she spent almost her entire life in China, where she was a committed friend of the Communist government.
Henri Konan Bédié, Ivory Coast President Deposed in a Coup, Dies at 89
As a longtime power broker he helped make his West African country an economic dynamo, but in office he fomented ethnic divisions and cracked down on dissent.
Dermot Doran, Priest Who Rallied Aid for Biafran Airlift, Dies at 88
In 1968, Father Doran, who had been in Nigeria as an educator, became the linchpin of one of the largest civilian humanitarian efforts in history.
Carlos Alberto Montaner, Prominent Critic of Castro’s Cuba, Dies at 80
After fleeing the island in 1961, he became one of the leading voices of opposition against the country’s Communist dictatorship.
James F. Dobbins, Leading Authority on Nation Building, Dies at 81
His Foreign Service career took him on a tour of world hot spots, including Somalia, Haiti, the Balkans and Afghanistan, where he led efforts to rebuild war-torn countries.
Winnie Ewing, Who Transformed Scottish Politics, Dies at 93
Her charismatic nationalism made independence from Britain a mainstream idea. She championed that idea for her many decades in office.