R.I.P. Roger Ebert (1942-2013)

It's a sad day for film buffs as legendary critic, Roger Ebert, has passed away at the age of 70. Only yesterday Ebert had announced that his cancer had returned and he would be taking time off to treat it. Ebert leaves behind a legacy that includes being touted as the "most powerful pundit in America", not to mention his popular film criticism television series, Siskel & Ebert.

Ebert was born and raised in Urbana, Illinois, where his interest in film and in journalism merged at an early age. He attended the University of Chicago and in 1967 started professionally reviewing films for the Chicago Sun-Times. In 1975, he and Chicago Tribune film critic Gene Siskel started a local weekly film review show called Sneak Previews that would later become the nationally syndicated Siskel & Ebert:

In 2002, he was diagnosed with papillary thyroid cancer and in 2006 he had to undergo surgery to remove part of his jaw bone. He returned to film reviewing in 2007 and seemed to be filled with new fervor for the art. Yesterday, when announcing the return of his cancer, he wrote, "Thank you for going on this journey with me. I'll see you at the movies."

His wit and his love for cinema will live on forever.

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[Photo Credit: Getty Images]