Charlton Heston Has Died

Charlton Heston, who won an Oscar in 1959 for his role as Moses, died on Saturday evening in Beverly Hills at the age of 84. His wife Lyndia was by his side. In 2002 Heston revealed that he had symptoms consistent with Alzheimer’s disease, saying, "I must reconcile courage and surrender in equal measure."

Besides being a film legend, Heston served as president of the Screen Actors Guild and chairman of the American Film Institute, and marched in the civil rights movement of the 1950s. Heston was also elected president of the National Rifle Association in June 1998, and stepped down in 2003. Later that year Heston was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President George W. Bush, the nation’s highest civilian honor. Bush said at the time, "The largeness of character that comes across the screen has also been seen throughout his life."

A legend like Charlton Heston will never be forgotten.