This document summarizes some of the notable people and events from 2013. It discusses Edward Snowden exposing NSA mass surveillance programs, C.N.R. Rao being awarded India's highest civilian honor Bharat Ratna, Sachin Tendulkar retiring from cricket and receiving Bharat Ratna, Margaret Thatcher dying, Alice Munro winning the Nobel Prize for Literature, Magnus Carlsen becoming chess champion, Shankuntala Devi dying known as the "human computer", Arvind Kejriwal becoming Chief Minister of Delhi, and Nelson Mandela dying after fighting apartheid in South Africa.

2. 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.

3. 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.

4. 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.

5. 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.

6. 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.

7. 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.

8. 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”.

9. 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.

10. 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.

11. 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.

12. 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).