ENTERED: Scientist S. Ramesh Babu into the Guinness Book of World Records for cutting a 12 3/4-inch (32 centimeter) cucumber into 120,000 pieces in less than three hours April 7 in Bangalore, India. Ramesh, who practiced more than a year for this day, followed a complex set of diagrams designed for the project. This was his 13th world record.
SWORN IN: Four sannyasins from Uttar Pradesh during recent elections for India's Lok Sabha parliament. Fielded by the BJP (Bharatiya Janata Party) they are: Sachchidanand Hari Sakshi, Ram Vilas Vedanti, Chinmayanand and Aditya Nath. Sakshi and Chinmayanand were members of the previous Lok Sabha. Nath, of Gorakhnath Peeth, succeeded his guru as an MP.
DIED: Wife of ex-Beatle Paul and famous animals rights/vegetarian activist Linda McCartney, 56, in Arizona, April 19, of cancer. Paul's office asked that instead of sending flowers, people could make a donation to cancer research or animal welfare charities, "or, best of all, the tribute Linda herself would like best: Go veggie." Linda developed her own line of meat-free foods. She said, "I love animals, and I'm not gonna eat them."
DIED: Self-styled New Age "guru" and author Frederick Lenz, by apparent suicide in New York, April 14, at age 48. Calling himself Zen Master Rama, Lenz recruited followers since 1980, telling them he had led several lives and was one of only 12 enlightened beings on Earth. He was criticized as exploitive of his students.