George Herbert Walker Bush, the 41st President of the United States, has died.

He passed away on Dec. 1 (Singapore time) in Houston, Texas. He was 94 years old.

Born in 1924, Bush served in the US Navy during World War II following the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor.

He entered politics as a Republican member of the US House of Representatives in 1967.

Ronald Reagan's VP

Bush then served in various roles such as the US Ambassador to the United Nations and Director of the Central Intelligence Agency, before being picked as President Ronald Reagan's vice-presidential candidate in the campaign of 1980.

Bush would serve two terms as vice-president, before running for president himself in 1988 against Michael Dukakis.

End of the Cold War

Bush would serve a single term as President, but his tenure included two momentous foreign policy challenges.

The first was the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989, the re-unification of Germany, the break-up of the Soviet Union, and the end of the Cold War.

Working together with General Secretary Mikhail Gorbachev, Bush oversaw the peaceful transition of the Soviet Union into the Russian Federation in 1991.

Desert Storm

The other event for which his presidency will be remembered was the first Gulf War in 1990.

Following the invasion of Kuwait by its neighbour Iraq under Saddam Hussein, Bush launched Operation Desert Storm with an international coalition, liberating Kuwait.

However, Bush grappled with challenges at home, and was defeated in the 1992 presidential election by Bill Clinton.

Family legacy

Bush is also the father of two major figures in the Republican party: Former Florida Governor Jeb Bush and the 43rd president of the United States, George W. Bush.

His wife Barbara died earlier this year, in April 2018.

Bush will be laid to rest beside her at his presidential library in College Station, Texas.

President George W. Bush posted a tribute to his father on Facebook, which you can see below:

President Barack Obama posted his own tribute on Facebook and Twitter:

America has lost a patriot and humble servant in George Herbert Walker Bush. While our hearts are heavy today, they are also filled with gratitude. Our thoughts are with the entire Bush family tonight – and all who were inspired by George and Barbara’s example. pic.twitter.com/g9OUPu2pjY

— Barack Obama (@BarackObama) December 1, 2018

Top image from George W. Bush's Facebook page