Last Word

Matthew Bannister on Jehan Sadat, the wife of president Anwar Sadat of Egypt, who campaigned for women’s rights, supported the disabled and disadvantaged people and forged an academic career. Michael Horovitz, the anarchic poet who staged chaotic 'happenings' and supported new talent. Richard Ernst, the Swiss chemist who won the Nobel prize for his work on nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy....

Matthew Bannister on Donald Rumsfeld, the US Secretary of Defense who challenged the military bureaucracy, advocated the invasion of Iraq in 2003 and was blamed for many of the failings of that operation. Menelik Shabazz, the pioneering film director who supported the careers of many other black film makers. Elizabeth French, the archaeologist who was a leading expert on the pottery of the ancient...

Matthew Bannister on The controversial American businessman John McAfee who made his first fortune selling anti-virus software, retreated into a compound in Belize where he was suspected of links with organised crime, campaigned to win the Presidential nomination for the Libertarian party and was found hanged in a Spanish prison cell after facing extradition on fraud and tax evasion charges. Gener...

Pictured: President Kenneth Kaunda Matthew Bannister on The Zambian President Kenneth Kaunda who fought for independence then ruled his country for nearly thirty years, but was voted out of office in the first multi-party elections of 1991. Janet Malcolm, the American writer whose works questioned the ethics of journalists and biographers, including herself. Penny Kemp, who brought passion and pro...

Pictured: Edward de Bono Matthew Bannister on Edward De Bono, the psychologist who advocated lateral thinking – and sold the concept to companies around the world. Paul Van Doren, the American businessman whose Vans sneakers were adopted by skateboarders, making him a multi-millionaire. Alastair Hanton OBE, who set up the National Girobank and developed direct debits to allow greater access to ban...

Matthew Bannister on Lee Evans, the world-record-breaking American sprinter who took part in black power protests at the 1968 Mexico Olympics. Yuan Longping, the plant scientist who developed hybrid varieties of rice that increased yields dramatically and so saved millions from hunger. Bill McCall, the General Secretary of the Institution of Professional Civil Servants who challenged Margaret That...

Matthew Bannister on The children’s author and illustrator Eric Carle, best known for creating The Very Hungry Caterpillar which has sold fifty-five million copies. Helen Murray Free, the American chemist who developed revolutionary simple tests for diabetes and other serious conditions. Michael Parsons, the engineer who designed some of the world’s longest suspension bridges, including the Severn...

Julian Worricker on: Sir Paul Cosford, who - as medical director of Public Health England - took on a prominent role during the Ebola outbreak and the Salisbury poisonings. The Formula One boss, Max Mosley, who helped turn his sport into a global spectacle and became an outspoken privacy campaigner. Dr Frances Rotblat, a haematologist, whose pioneering work led to significant advances in the treat...

Matthew Bannister on Dr. Spencer Silver, the American chemist who invented the adhesive used in Post It Notes. Kevin Jackson, the writer, broadcaster and critic described as a “21st century man of letters”. Patricia Brown, who played a leading role in cracking German codes at Bletchley Park during the second world war. Asfaw Yemiru, the former street boy from Ethiopia who founded a school for orph...

Matthew Bannister on: Olympia Dukakis, the Greek-American actor who won an Oscar for playing Cher’s mother in Moonstruck and became an LGBT icon after playing Anna Madrigal in Tales of the City. Its author Armistead Maupin pays tribute. Eric McGraw who founded and edited a magazine for prisoners called “Inside Time”. Former inmate Noel “Razor” Smith explains how it changed the course of his life....

Matthew Bannister on Baroness O’Cathain, the successful businesswoman who became Managing Director of the Barbican Arts Centre in London but left after losing the confidence of staff and artists. Michael Collins, the Apollo 11 astronaut who stayed in the Apollo command module while Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin walked on the moon. Sharon Matola, the former lion tamer who became an environmentalis...

Matthew Bannister on: Geoff Crowther, the global traveller, writer and map maker whose work helped to build the success of the Lonely Planet guide books. Isamu Akasaki, the Nobel prize winning physicist whose discoveries paved the way for LED lighting. June Newton, who was a successful portrait photographer using the name Alice Springs to avoid comparisons with her husband and fellow photographer...

Matthew Bannister on Helen McCrory, the actor best known for playing the matriarch Aunt Polly in Peaky Blinders, but equally acclaimed for her classical stage performances. David Hare pays tribute. Hans Küng, the controversial Catholic theologian who often clashed with the Vatican and wrote many books including 'Does God Exist?” and “Can We Save The Catholic Church?”. Eric Gordon, the communist jo...

Matthew Bannister on: The Liberal Democrat peer Baroness Williams of Crosby. As Shirley Williams she was a Labour cabinet minister who abolished the 11-plus exam in many parts of the UK, then a member of the Gang of Four who founded the SDP and later the Lib Dem leader in the House of Lords. Her former colleague Lord Owen pays tribute. Glynn Lunney, who was the flight director on key American spac...

Matthew Bannister on Doreen Lofthouse, the Lancashire businesswoman who took Fisherman’s Friends lozenges from a Fleetwood chemist’s shop to a multi-million pound international company. Dr Chris Doake, the glaciologist who was able to predict with great accuracy the break-up of the Antarctic ice shelf. Barbara Hosking, who served as a Downing Street press officer under both Harold Wilson and Ted H...

Matthew Bannister on Bob Davey, the retired water board superintendent who made it his mission to restore an ancient church in Norfolk – and in the process made a remarkable archaeological find. George Segal, the American film star who was nominated for an Oscar for his performance in “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?” and starred opposite Glenda Jackson in the comedy “A Touch of Class”. Lady Viole...

Matthew Bannister on: The Egyptian feminist writer Nawal El Saadawi who faced persecution and imprisonment but never wavered from her commitment to campaigning for women’s rights. Brigadier Jack Thomas who had a distinguished military career, serving during the Second World War, the Korean war and in Northern Ireland. John Magufuli, the autocratic President of Tanzania who advocated prayer and inh...

Julian Worricker on: One of the best known sports commentators of his generation, motor racing's Murray Walker The woman who co-founded what became the charity, Missling People, Mary Asprey King Goodwill Zwelithini, who ruled the Zulu nation at a time of enormous change in South Africa And Bunny Wailer, founder member of the Wailers, whose album Blackheart Man is regarded as one of reggae's finest...

Matthew Bannister on Nicola Pagett, the acclaimed actor who made her name on TV in Upstairs Downstairs and as Anna Karenina but also excelled in classical stage roles. Later in life she suffered severe mental illness. Stan Shaw, one of the last Sheffield craftsmen known as “little mesters”. He spent eighty years forging, grinding and finishing blades in the city’s cutlery industry. Professor John...

Matthew Bannister on Sheikh Ahmed Zaki Yamani, the Saudi oil minister who presided over the 1970s embargo that caused crises for Western economies. Sidney Alford, the maverick explosives expert who created methods of defusing improvised explosive devices used in Northern Ireland, Afghanistan and the Middle East. He also demolished large buildings and created spectacular effects for film makers. Al...

Matthew Bannister on Sir William Macpherson, the retired judge whose report on the investigation of the murder of Stephen Lawrence accused the Metropolitan Police of “institutional racism”. Margaret Snyder, seen by some as the United Nations’ first feminist. She established funds and projects to support women in developing countries. Eleanor Wadsworth, one of the last surviving women who delivered...

Matthew Bannister on: Carlos Menem, the flamboyant President of Argentina during the 1990s who transformed the country’s economy, but was dogged by allegations of corruption. Mary Wilson, a founding member of the Supremes who rivalled the Beatles for chart success during the 1960s. Robin Pooley, the businessman who started in the meat trade before switching to become Chief Executive of the Potato...

Matthew Bannister on George Shultz, the US Secretary of State during the Reagan years who came close to brokering a deal to abolish all US and Soviet nuclear weapons. Yvonne Conolly, Britain’s first black female head teacher who overcame racism to become a role model for others. Maureen Colquhoun, the first UK member of parliament to be openly in a same sex relationship. When they heard the news,...

Matthew Bannister on The biologist Lewis Wolpert who developed new theories about embryo development and was a passionate communicator of science. The award winning actor Cicely Tyson, best known for portraying strong, dignified African American women on stage and screen. Saudi Prince Khalid Abdullah who became one of the world’s most successful racehorse owners. His horses included the great Fran...

Matthew Bannister on Larry King, the American TV interviewer whose long running show on CNN attracted guests ranging from Presidents to pop stars. Christiane Amanpour pays tribute. Catherine Ennis, the organist at the City of London Church of St Lawrence Jewry who helped to design four major organs in the capital. Dame Margaret Weston, the Director of the Science Museum who spread funding around t...