Former United States Vice President Dick Cheney has passed away at the age of 84, according to a statement released by his family on Tuesday and reported by US media outlets.
Cheney, who served as the 46th Vice President under President George W. Bush from 2001 to 2009, reportedly died from complications related to pneumonia as well as cardiac and vascular disease.
“Dick Cheney devoted decades of his life to serving our nation, including as White House Chief of Staff, Congressman from Wyoming, Secretary of Defense, and Vice President of the United States,” his family said in a statement.
Widely regarded as one of the most influential vice presidents in American history, Cheney was known for his strong conservative views and behind-the-scenes influence on major policy decisions during the Bush administration.
Born on January 30, 1941, in Lincoln, Nebraska, Cheney spent much of his early life in Wyoming. He briefly attended Yale University before returning home to earn a degree in political science from the University of Wyoming.
Cheney began his political career in 1978 when he won Wyoming’s lone seat in the U.S. House of Representatives, serving for ten years. In 1989, President George H.W. Bush appointed him Secretary of Defense, where he oversaw the Pentagon during the 1990–1991 Gulf War, a US-led operation that expelled Iraqi forces from Kuwait.
During his tenure as Vice President, Cheney was a driving force in shaping US foreign and defense policies. His staunch advocacy for the Iraq invasion in 2003—based on claims that Saddam Hussein possessed weapons of mass destruction—later drew widespread criticism when those claims were proven false.
Cheney remains a polarizing figure in American politics, remembered both for his extensive government service and his controversial role in shaping post-9/11 US policy.
