Robert W Taylor, the renowned computer pioneer who passed away, hailed from which country?

Noted Tamil writer and Sahitya Akademi award winner Prabhanjan died due to Cancer at the age of 83.Prabhanjan started his career as a Tamil Teacher and got Sahitya Akademi Award for his historic novel "Vaanam Vasapadum" in 1995.

Vice-Admiral M.P. Awati (retd.), who commanded a naval unit of the Eastern Fleet in the 1971 India-Pakistan war and whose actions led to the destruction of an enemy submarine, passed away. Vice-Admiral Awati was 91 years old. He was the commanding officer of INS Kamorta during the 1971 Bangladesh Liberation War, and successfully faced enemy operations for almost a fortnight. He was awarded the Vir Chakra for his leadership and gallantry.

Scotland all-rounder Con de Lange who had been diagnosed with a brain tumour has passed away at the age of 38. The South Africa-born de Lange played 21 internationals for Scotland, making his debut in a T20I against Ireland in June 2015.

Paul Allen, who co-founded Microsoft in 1975 passed away aged 65 after battling cancer. Allen was the childhood friend of Microsoft Co-Founder Bill Gates. It was Allen who came up with the name Microsoft and had left the company in 1983. Allen ranked among the world's wealthiest individuals. As on date of his death, he ranked 44th on Forbes' 2018 list of billionaires with an estimated net worth of more than $20 billion.

Eminent Gandhian Natwar Thakkar passed away on 7th October 2018 due to his ill health. His efforts to spread Gandhian philosophy and peace had earned him the title 'Nagaland's Gandhi'. He was the founder of Nagaland Gandhi Ashram. He was honoured with the Padma Shri award. Mr.Thakkar had been chosen as a member of a committee constituted by Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the year-long celebration of Mahatma Gandhi's 150th birth anniversary across the country. He went Nagaland from Maharashtra in 1955 when the movement for secession from India under the legendary Naga leader A.Z. Angami was gaining momentum. His Gandhian mission was viewed as a front for espionage by New Delhi and he was often told, at gunpoint, to leave the Naga domain.

Cherkallam Abdullah (76), the senior Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) leader and former Kerala Minister, has passed away on July 27, 2018. He was a prominent leader of the Opposition Congress-led UDF in north Kerala. A 4-time MLA from Manjeswaram in Kasaragod district since 1987, Abdullah was the local self development minister in the A K Antony cabinet from 2001-2004.

Renowned Hindi poet Pradeep Choubey passed away of a cardiac arrest. Choubey (70) was the younger brother of celebrated humorist, satirist, and poet Shail Chaturvedi. Besides humour, he was famous for satirical comments on the system.

Veteran actor-writer Kader Khan passed away in Canada at the age of 81. Kader Khan made his acting debut in 1973 with Rajesh Khanna's "Daag" and has featured in over 300 films. He wrote dialogues for over 250 movies. Before becoming an actor he had written dialogues for Randhir Kapoor-Jaya Bachchan's "Jawani Diwani". As a screenwriter, Khan frequently collaborated with Manmohan Desai and Prakash Mehra.

On 22nd December 2018, Dr. Jiko Luveni, the first female speaker of Fiji's Parliament, died in office at the age of 72. Luveni first served for eight years as minister for women, social welfare and poverty alleviation in the interim government of Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama, who seized power in a 2006 coup.