George
Herbert Walker Bush, the 41st President of the United States and the patriarch of one of America's dominant political dynasties, died Friday, November 30, at the age of 94.
Bush, the son of a US senator, became the US Navy's youngest pilot in 1943 and flew 58 combat missions during World War II.
In 1966 he was elected to the US House of Representatives, and he was appointed ambassador to the United Nations in 1971. He also served as director of Central Intelligence before running for president in 1980.
Bush served as vice president of the United States for both of Ronald Reagan's terms before becoming President himself in 1988. Bush lost his re-election bid to Bill Clinton in 1992, but even after his presidency he continued to serve, teaming up with Clinton and other past presidents for humanitarian efforts.
"The American Dream means giving it your all, trying your hardest, accomplishing something. And then I'd add to that, giving something back," Bush said in 1995. "No definition of a successful life can do anything but include serving others."
Bush is pictured with his sister, Mercy, in 1929. He was born June 12, 1924, in Milton, Massachusetts. Their father, Prescott Bush, was a successful Wall Street banker who became a US senator in 1952.
Bush sits in his VT-51 Avenger in 1945. Two years earlier, he became the youngest pilot in the US Navy. He flew 58 combat missions in World War II and was awarded three Air Medals and the Distinguished Flying Cross.
After the war, Bush attended Yale University and played baseball there from 1945 to 1948. He was team captain.
Before he entered politics, Bush made a fortune drilling for oil in Texas. He created the Zapata Offshore Co., which introduced a new era in the drilling industry.
Bush is pictured with his wife, Barbara, during his first campaign for Congress. He represented Texas' 7th District from 1967 to 1971, and he was appointed to the powerful tax-writing Ways and Means Committee.
Bush represents the United States at the United Nations in 1971. He served as US Ambassador from that year until 1973.
Bush sits with members of his family in 1971. He met his wife at a country club dance in 1941, and they were married in 1945. They had six children.
Under President Gerald Ford, Bush served as the chief liaison to China in 1975. Here, Bush greets well-wishers in Beijing.
Ford meets with Bush in December 1975 to talk to about Bush taking over as director of the Central Intelligence Agency.
The Bushes stand with Republican presidential nominee Ronald Reagan and his wife, Nancy, in 1980. Bush lost to Reagan in the primaries but became his running mate.
Bush and House Speaker Tip O'Neill listen to Reagan deliver his second State of the Union address in 1983.
Reagan shakes hands with Bush in 1988. Bush served as Reagan's vice president from 1981 to 1989, and he would succeed him as President.
The Bushes pose for a 1986 photo in Kennebunkport, Maine.
President Ronald Reagan, left center, and Vice President George Bush, right center, accompanied by Nancy Reagan, left, and Barbara Bush, join hands after President Reagan endorses Bush's run for the presidency during the President's Dinner in Washington on May 11, 1988.
Bush poses for a photo with real estate mogul and future President Donald Trump during a campaign event in 1988.
Bush debates Democratic presidential candidate Michael Dukakis in 1988.
Bush joins supporters in Houston in November 1988 after learning he had defeated Dukakis in the presidential election.
Shortly after winning the election, Bush casts a line while surf fishing in Gulf Stream, Florida.
Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev takes in the New York skyline with Reagan and Bush in 1988.
Bush was sworn into office as the 41st president of the United States on January 20, 1989. First lady Barbara Bush holds the Bible for her husband while Chief Justice William Rehnquist administers the oath of office.
President Bush delivers his first State of the Union address to a joint session of Congress on January 31, 1990.
Bush holds up a plastic bag with crack cocaine during a televised speech about drugs in 1989. Weeks later it was revealed that government agents had bought the drugs from a dealer in front of the White House for the purpose of Bush's speech.
Bush hosted Nelson Mandela, South Africa's anti-apartheid leader and future president, at the White House in June 1990.
President George H.W. Bush and first lady Barbara Bush wave goodbye to US Marines and members of the British 7th Armoured Brigade as they conclude a Thanksgiving Day visit with troops in the Saudi desert on November 22, 1990.
Bush and Colin Powell, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, speak on separate phones in February 1991 while Joint Chiefs John Sununu, Robert Gates and Brent Scowcroft listen to a conversation about halting the Gulf War.
Bush, at his vacation home in Kennebunkport, meets with Supreme Court nominee Clarence Thomas in 1991. Bush also appointed Justice David Souter in 1990.
Bush plays golf with tennis player Andre Agassi in 1991.
President George H.W. Bush and Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev shake hands in front of US and Soviet flags at the end of a news conference in Moscow on July 31, 1991.
From left, Presidents Bush, Reagan, Jimmy Carter, Gerald Ford and Richard Nixon stand together at the dedication of the Ronald Reagan Library in 1991. It was the first time five presidents gathered in one place.
Bush, right, and Vice President Dan Quayle join hands at the 1992 Republican National Convention in Houston. They are joined by their wives, Marilyn Quayle and Barbara Bush.
Bush checks his watch during a 1992 presidential debate with Ross Perot, right, and Bill Clinton. The memorable moment was interpreted as the President being out of touch.
Bush takes a last look around the Oval Office with his dog, Ranger, before vacating the White House for Bill Clinton.
Bush's eldest son, George Walker Bush, was elected President in 2000. They became the second father-son duo in history to hold the office (the first being John Adams and John Quincy Adams). The two Georges hug here moments after the youngest was sworn in on January 20, 2001.
President George W. Bush sits at his desk in the Oval Office for the first time on Inauguration Day, January 20, 2001, as his father, former President George H.W. Bush, looks on.
Celebrating his 80th birthday in 2004, Bush performs one of two skydiving jumps he completed with the Army Golden Knights.
In 2005, President George W. Bush appointed his father and Bill Clinton to lead fundraising efforts for victims of Hurricane Katrina.
Bush arrives on the South Lawn of White House in Washington on May 11, 2008.
President Barack Obama presents Bush with the Medal of Freedom in February 2011. "His life is a testament that public service is a noble calling. ... His humility and his decency reflects the very best of the American spirit," Obama said.
Barbara Bush kisses her husband as they arrive for the 2012 premiere of a documentary about his life.
From left, President Barack Obama, former President George W. Bush, former President Bill Clinton, former President George H.W. Bush and former President Jimmy Carter arrive for the dedication of the George W. Bush Presidential Center on April 25, 2013 in Dallas.
Bush holds up his wife's hand at a Republican presidential debate in 2016. Their son, former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, was among the candidates in the debate.
The Bushes participate in the ceremonial coin toss before the Super Bowl in 2017.
Bush was admitted to a hospital in April 2017 for an acute respiratory problem stemming from pneumonia. This photo of him and his son George was posted to Twitter.
"Big morale boost from a high level delegation. No father has ever been more blessed, or prouder," the elder Bush wrote about the photo.
Bush joins former presidents and first ladies at the funeral ceremony for his wife in April 2018. Behind Bush, from left, are Laura Bush, George W. Bush, Bill Clinton, Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama, Michelle Obama and current first lady Melania Trump.
Bush is seen in the car after a stay in the hospital. His son Jeb tweeted the photo in May 2018, saying, "My beloved dad is in Maine." Bush had been admitted to the hospital after contracting an infection that spread to his blood, a family spokesman said.
