John Dingell, longest-serving member of Congress in U.S. history, dies at 92

Former Rep. John Dingell, the country's longest-serving congressman, died on Thursday, after battling cancer and heart issues. He was 92.

A Democrat from Michigan, the World War II veteran was first elected to Congress in 1955, taking over the seat his father held for two decades. He retired in January 2015 at age 88, after helping write major environmental, energy, civil rights, and health care legislation. He was also a champion of the automotive industry.

Once he announced his retirement, Dingell's wife, Rep. Debbie Dingell (D-Mich.), said she would run for his seat; she was elected in 2014. Over the last several years, Dingell was active on Twitter, commenting on politics and sports. In his last message, posted Wednesday, Dingell said his wife insisted he "rest and stay off here, but after long negotiations, we've worked out a deal where she'll keep up with Twitter for me as I dictate the messages. I want to thank you all for your incredibly kind words and prayers. You're not done with me just yet."

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Catherine Garcia has worked as a senior writer at The Week since 2014. Her writing and reporting have appeared in Entertainment Weekly, The New York Times, Wirecutter, NBC News and "The Book of Jezebel," among others. She's a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.