The most powerful secretary of state of the postwar era, he was both celebrated and reviled. His complicated legacy still resonates in relations with China, Russia and the Middle East.
Tag: Deaths (Obituaries)
Daisaku Ikeda, Who Led Influential Japanese Buddhist Group, Dies at 95
He grew Soka Gakkai International’s following over two decades and helped create a coalition partner for the country’s dominant Liberal Democratic Party.
Audrey Salkeld, Pioneering Historian of Everest, Dies at 87
She trawled 56 boxes of forgotten archives, bringing to life mysterious figures from early expeditions on the world’s highest peak.
Joan Jara, Who Found Justice for Husband Slain After Coup, Dies at 96
She sought accountability in the military killing of the leftist folk singer Victor Jara in the right-wing turmoil that carried Gen. Augusto Pinochet to power in Chile in 1973.
Peter Tarnoff Dies at 86; Diplomat Helped Plot ‘Argo’ Escape From Iran
A consummate man behind the scenes, he held top posts under Carter and Clinton, and in between ran the Council on Foreign Relations.
Karel Schwarzenberg, Renegade Czech Prince and Politician, Dies at 85
Popular with the Czech public for quietly subverting the aristocracy, he served twice as foreign minister and ran for president in 2013.
Viktor Belenko, Who Defected to the West in a Jet Fighter, Dies at 76
Among the highest-profile figures to flee the Soviet Union, he brought with him a secret weapon and firsthand experience behind the Iron Curtain.
David Kirke, Who Made the First Modern Bungee Jump, Dies at 78
An Oxford-educated prankster as colorful as he was daring, he accidentally helped invent a new extreme sport in the 1970s.
Wanda Poltawska, 101, Who Forged a Friendship With a Future Pope, Dies
She survived gruesome medical experimentation at the Ravensbrück concentration camp to become a psychiatrist — counseled by the priest who would become John Paul II.
Li Keqiang, Former Chinese Premier, Dies of Heart Attack at 68
Mr. Li, who retired in March, was muscled out of the premier’s usual policymaking roles by Mr. Xi. Chinese citizens expressed shock at his death, from a heart attack.