Steve Jobs, the mastermind behind Apple, has passed away.

Jobs, who had fought against pancreatic cancer for years, was 56 when he died today.

Only slightly more than one month ago, he announced his resignation as CEO from Apple, although he remained a prominent board member right up until his death.

News sources report that Apple employees and relatives of Jobs say his death was not unexpected, though it is still tragic. Jobs, who has been called the Leonardo DaVinci of our time, has held board director positions in Apple, Disney and Pixar.

Apple released a statement today which read: “We are deeply saddened to announce that Steve Jobs passed away today. Steve’s brilliance, passion and energy were the source of countless innovations that enrich and improve all of our lives. The world is immeasurably better because of Steve. His greatest love was for his wife, Laurene, and his family. Our hearts go out to them and to all who were touched by his extraordinary gifts.”