Senator Ted Kennedy passed away at the age of 77 on Tuesday night. He was at his home in Hyannis Port, Massachusetts when he lost his year-long battle with brain cancer. The brother of President John F. Kennedy and Senator Robert F. Kennedy, he was one of the most influential and longest-serving senators in U.S history, elected at the age of 30 in 1962. He was a huge advocate of health care reform, and President Obama recently awarded him the nation's highest civilian honor, the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
The Kennedy family stated, "We've lost the irreplaceable center of our family and joyous light in our lives, but the inspiration of his faith, optimism, and perseverance will live on in our hearts forever. He loved this country and devoted his life to serving it."