Milestones:

Boris Yeltsin – (1931-2007) The death of the former leader of the Russian Federation, Boris Yeltsin, on April 23rd, 2007 marks the end of a dramatic era in the country's political history.

Yeltsin came to power in June of 1991 at the height of the country's disillusionment with the Communist regime and high expectations for a new democratic movement. Despite the difficult challenge of recovering his scandalous reputation and mass popularity following his endorsement of the radical economic reforms in 1992, Yeltsin was re-elected at the presidential elections in 1996, successfully defeating his primary rival Gennady Zyuganov, leader of the country's highly-rated communist party.

Some rate the 1998 financial crisis as the final straw in President Yeltsin's political career, the crucial turn of events that very few Russians can forget. And just minutes before the traditionally wishing his compatriots a happy new year on December 31st 1999, President made a genuinely unexpected announcement of his official resignation, thus leaving his legacy and, yet again, the unclear future of the Russian people in the brand new hands of Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin.

Although former President Yeltsin resigned from the top post on New Year's Eve 2000 and strived to maintain a low profile ever since, his personal life and health problem remained in the very center of attention among press reporters on both sides of the Atlantic and beyond.

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Entertainer Don Ho (1931-2007) Entertained tourists for decades wearing raspberry-tinted sunglasses and singing the catchy signature tune "Tiny Bubbles," has died. He was 76.

He died Saturday morning (4-15) of heart failure, publicist Donna Jung said.

Ho had suffered with heart problems for the past several years, and had a pacemaker installed last fall. In 2005, he underwent an experimental stem cell procedure on his ailing heart in Thailand in 2005.

Ho entertained Hollywood's biggest stars and thousands of tourists for four decades. For many, no trip to Hawaii was complete without seeing his Waikiki show a mix of songs, jokes, Hawaii history and audience participation.

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Writer, Kurt Vonnegut (1922-2007) Authored "Slaughterhouse-Five," "Cat's Cradle" and nearly two dozen other books, was regarded as a key influence in 20th-century American literature, died Wednesday (4-11) at age 84 after being injured in a fall at his home in New York.

He was born and grew up in Indianapolis, the youngest of three children, hailing from an affluent German-American family that played a key role in the city's early development.

Vonnegut's paternal grandfather was an architect who designed several Indianapolis landmarks. His father also was an architect, but the family's fortunes fell sharply during the Great Depression.

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