US Senator Edward Kennedy has died, aged 77. He had been suffering from brain cancer.

Brother of former president John F Kennedy and senator Robert F Kennedy, both of whom were assassinated in the 1960s, Edward was one of the most influential American politicians of the 20th and 21st centuries.

He served nine terms in the US senate as Democratic Senator for Massachusetts. He was the third-longest serving senator of all time, and at the time of his death was the second most senior member in the Senate.

Kennedy became an icon of the liberal left in America. He was viewed as a symbolic keeper of the legacy of his brother John, who as president in the early 1960s had championed civil rights and equality.

President Obama paid tribute to Kennedy, saying: “For five decades, virtually every major piece of legislation to advance the civil rights, health and economic wellbeing of the American people bore his name and resulted from his efforts. I cherished his confidence and momentous support in my race for the presidency… I’ve profited as president from his encouragement and wisdom. An important chapter in our history has come to an end.”