John McCain, former presidential candidate and Republican Senator, has died at age 81 on August 25th, 2018. The politician suffered from glioblastoma, a type of cancerous brain tumor which is aggressive and thought to be incurable; McCain had announced just the day before he passed that he would stop treatment.

McCain was diagnosed with the disease in July 2017.

Before his diagnosis, Sen. John McCain was a well-known member of the U.S. Senate, having served for 30 years. He was also an American veteran, a naval bomber pilot, an avid world traveler, and a prison of war during Vietnam for five and a half years.

In McCain’s memoir, released this past May, the Senator writes:

“It’s been quite a ride. I’ve known great passions, seen amazing wonders, fought in a war, and helped make peace. I’ve lived very well and I’ve been deprived of all comforts. I’ve been as lonely as a person can be and I’ve enjoyed the company of heroes. I’ve suffered the deepest despair and experienced the highest exultation. I made a small place for myself in the story of America and the history of my times.”