Passages in 2012: Notable deaths in world affairs
Raymond Aubrac, 97, major figure of the French Resistance who escaped the Nazis' grasp in a legendary rescue led by his wife, Lucie. They helped set up one of the first networks of the Resistance against the Nazi occupation of France. Short illness, April 10.
Adolfo Calero, 80, who led the largest force of U.S.-backed rebels against Nicaragua's Sandinista government in the 1980s. He was the key contact with Reagan administration officials during the Iran-contra affair, the secret U.S.-arranged sale of weapons to Iran to finance the rebels. Pneumonia and kidney failure, June 2.
John Demjanjuk, 91, convicted of about 30,000 counts of accessory to murder as a low-ranking guard at the Nazis' Sobibor death camp. Demjanjuk lied about his wartime activities to avoid being sent back to Ukraine. He lived near Cleveland until his deportation in 2009. Sentenced to five years in prison, he was free on appeal when he died. Natural causes, March 17.
Rauf Denktash, 87, former Turkish Cypriot leader whose determined pursuit of a separate state for his people and strong opposition to the divided island's reunification defined a political career spanning six decades. Multiple organ failure, Jan. 13.
Jose Luis Alvarez Enparantza, in his 80s, one of the founders of the Basque separatist group ETA. Alvarez participated in ETA's creation in 1958 and 20 years later helped form Herri Batasuna, the group's political wing. Cause not given, Jan. 14.
Florence Green, 110, last known surviving veteran of World War I. Green was serving with the Women's Royal Air Force as a waitress at an air base in England when the guns fell silent on Nov. 11, 1918. It was not until 2010 that she was officially recognized as a veteran after a researcher found her service record in Britain's National Archives. Natural causes, Feb. 4.
Manuel Fraga Iribarne, 89, politician who founded Spain's ruling conservative party and ignited divisive reactions as the last surviving minister from Gen. Francisco Franco's right-wing regime. Heart failure, Jan. 15.
Fang Lizhi, 76, Chinese dissident whose speeches inspired student protesters in the 1980s. Fang burst into political prominence during the pro-democracy demonstrations of 1986-88 when he became China's most outspoken proponent of democratic reform. China's decision to allow him to leave the country in 1990 eliminated a major obstacle to bettering China-U.S. relations. No cause given, April 6.
Tomás Borge Martinez, 81, last surviving founder of the Sandinista guerrilla movement that overthrew Nicaragua's U.S.-backed right-wing dictatorship in 1979 and replaced it with a leftist government also criticized for repression. Pneumonia, April 30.
Abdel Baset al-Megrahi, 60, Libyan convicted of the 1988 bombing of Pan Am Flight 103 over Scotland that left 270 dead. Al-Megrahi was released from a Scottish prison in 2009 on humanitarian grounds. Prostate cancer, May 20.
Sun Myung Moon, 92, self-proclaimed messiah and founder of the Unification Church who turned his religious vision into a worldwide movement and a multibillion-dollar corporation stretching from the Korean Peninsula to the United States. His followers cherished him, while his detractors accused him of brainwashing recruits — called "Moonies" — and extracting money from worshipers. The church gained fame — and notoriety — by marrying thousands of followers in mass ceremonies presided over by Moon. Pneumonia, Sept. 3.
Minoru Mori, 77, one of Japan's most influential developers, he built China's tallest building. Mori transformed Tokyo's landscape with mammoth, mixed-use projects. His 101-story Shanghai World Financial Center has the world's highest rooftop at 1,614 feet. Heart failure, March 8.
Oscar Niemeyer, 104, architect who recreated Brazil's sensuous curves in reinforced concrete and built the capital of Brasilia as a symbol of the nation's future. Niemeyer shunned the steel-box structures of many modernist architects, finding inspiration in nature's crescents and spirals. Respiratory infection, Dec. 5.
Oswaldo Paya, 60, Cuban activist who spent decades speaking out against the communist government of Fidel and Raúl Castro. Car crash, July 22.
Yitzhak Shamir, 96, former Israeli prime minister who clung throughout his life to the belief that Israel should hang on to territory and never trust an Arab regime. Shamir served as prime minister from 1983 to 1984 and 1986 to 1992, leading his party to election victories twice despite lacking much of the outward charisma that characterizes many modern politicians. Natural causes, June 30.
Norodom Sihanouk, 89, revered and often mercurial former king and independence hero who helped navigate Cambodia through a half-century of war, genocide and upheaval. First crowned king by the French in 1941 at the age of 18, Sihanouk ruled as a feudal-style absolute monarch. When the murderous Khmer Rouge seized power in the 1970s, he was reviled as a collaborator. Yet, he himself ended up as their prisoner and lost five of his children to the regime. Heart attack, Oct. 15.
Tina Strobos, 91, student who helped save the lives of more than 100 Jews by hiding them in her Amsterdam home. Metastatic cancer, Feb. 27.