Former Indian Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee at an event in New Delhi, India, on September 4, 2003 (Photo: AFP/VNA)

He will be remembered as the leader who brought India into the world’s nuclear weapons club, eased tensions with Pakistan, and built closer ties to the US. Vajpayee once made a diplomatic breakthrough with a visit to Pakistan by bus to express India’s friendliness. He was loved for his poems and sense of humor.