Former United States Vice President Dick Cheney has died at the age of 84, his family said in a statement. He died of complications of pneumonia and heart and vascular disease.
Cheney served as second vice president to former President George W. Bush from 2001 to 2009. He is one of the most powerful vice presidents in American history, known for his strong influence on government decisions.
He was born in Lincoln, Nebraska on January 30, 1941, and raised in Wyoming. He attended Yale University but did not graduate and later graduated from University of Wyoming with a degree in Political Science.
His political career began in 1978 as Wyoming Representative in the US Congress. In 1989, he was appointed Secretary of Defense by President George H.W. Bush and led the Gulf War of 1990–1991, in which the US led the expulsion of Iraqi troops from Kuwait.
As Vice President, he was one of the leaders in the decision-making process for the invasion of Iraq following the September 11, 2001 attacks. His false statements about Saddam Hussein's chemical weapons led to support for the 2003 war.
