The senate lost one of its strongest leaders with the death of Edward Moore Kennedy, 77, on Aug. 26. Kennedy died after a long bout of brain cancer.

Kennedy was the third longest serving senator in U.S. history and had been elected to the Senate by Massachusetts voters nine times– a record matched by only one other senator. For 46 years, Kennedy was known as “the lion of the Senate” and served as a pillar for American liberalism, respected by both liberals and conservatives for his dedication and fierceness.

Born in Boston, Massachusetts on Feb. 22, 1932, Kennedy was the youngest son of what was to become one of the largest political families in history.

For several years, Kennedy lived overseas, then returned to America to attend Harvard. He was expelled his freshman year and served in the army for two years, once again returning to Harvard and getting his degree. He then earned his law degree at the University of Virginia, where he sharpened his debate skills.

After helping his brother John F. Kennedy win the 1960 presidential election, Kennedy went on to win the seat in the Senate that his brother had held before him. The year after his brother’s 1963 assassination, Kennedy was elected to his first full term on the senate.

For over four decades, Kennedy became a larger-than-life figure, both in politics and in his personal life. Scandal plagued Kennedy, such his responsibility for the drowning death of young Mary Jo Kopechne, a former aide to his brother Robert.

Kennedy was often seen not only as a strong figure, but as a sick parody of himself, both a celebrity and a politician, hated and respected.

But if there is one thing that every American should remember about Kennedy, it is his long record of votes on the senate, ranging from opposition to the Vietnam War to voting against supporting the war in Iraq, which he called “the best vote [he] made in [his] 44 years on the senate.”

Love him or hate him, Kennedy was the last of an era, a dominant figure in politics, and a highly respected man.