President George W. Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney meet in Washington, D.C., on Sept. 12, 2001, with members of the president's national security team in the Cabinet room.
Former Vice President of the United States Dick Cheney and his daughter, Liz Cheney, during a USA TODAY interview at his home in McLean, Virginia, on Aug. 29, 2015.

Dick Cheney, who wielded more power as vice president of the United States than any before him and held the legacy of one of the most controversial American political figures, died at the age of 84 after a career that included representing Wyoming in Congress and shaping foreign policy after the 9/11 terrorist attacks.

Cheney died on Nov. 3 of complications of pneumonia and cardiac and vascular disease, his family said in a statement.

From his early days in Washington politics to his remarkable split from Trump-era Republicans in the most recent presidential election, these were some of the most memorable moments from Cheney's life and career:

Cheney arrives on the Washington scene and becomes youngest chief of staff

Cheney joined the staff of Donald Rumsfeld, later to serve as Defense Secretary during 9/11 and its aftermath, in the Nixon White House and worked in the administration starting in 1969. After Nixon's resignation amid the Watergate scandal, Rumsfeld became President Gerald Ford's top assistant, and Cheney his deputy.

Cheney served on the transition team in 1974 and made history as the youngest White House chief of staff at age 34. He kept the job until the end of the Ford administration. He would go on to represent Wyoming in Congress and was reelected five times. He was later the secretary of Defense from 1989 to 1993 under President George H. W. Bush.

9/11 and the shaping of the Iraq War

Cheney's legacy is perhaps most defined by his actions in the aftermath of the 9/11 terror attacks on New York City and Washington. Earlier in 2001, Cheney took office as vice president under President George W. Bush. Going beyond other vice presidents before him, Cheney played an active role in shaping policy and strategy and was a key architect in the decision that would shape Bush's legacy.

Cheney helped push Bush to invade Iraq in 2003 on a mission to thwart Saddam Hussein's alleged stockpiling of weapons of mass destruction – which ended up as misinformation. Cheney was a public face of support for overthrowing Hussein and made public statements predicting a successful outcome. He rejected the idea that the war would become long and costly.

"The invasion of Iraq was in many ways Dick Cheney’s war," James Mann wrote in "Rise of the Vulcans: The History of Bush’s War Cabinet."

Cheney authorized plane to be shot down on 9/11

Before passengers on United Airlines Flight 93 were able to fight back against hijackers and force the plane to crash land in Pennsylvania on Sept. 11, 2001, Cheney gave approval for the plane to be shot down before it could reach the capital, according to the 9/11 Commission Report.

"The Vice President authorized fighter aircraft to engage the aircraft,' the report published in 2004 said. The report also said Air Force fighters probably would not have found and reached the aircraft in time.

2006 hunting incident: Cheney accidentally shoots lawyer

While still vice president, Cheney accidentally shot Texas attorney Harry Whittington with a 28-gauge shotgun loaded with birdshot while on a hunting trip in February 2006.

The two were part of a group quail hunting at a ranch in Texas when Cheney fired at a covey of quail, not realizing Whittington, who stayed behind to collect shot birds, had approached. Whittington was sprayed with birdshot in the face, neck and chest. The lawyer was hospitalized and suffered a heart attack triggered by birdshot lodged near his heart, but survived.

Whittington told the USA TODAY Network in 2018 that he remained in touch with Cheney and harbored no ill will for the mishap.

The hunting accident was first reported by the Corpus Christi Caller-Times, part of the USA TODAY Network, and made national headlines. It was also featured in the 2018 movie, "Vice," in which Christian Bale portrays Cheney.

Cheney's break with Trump

In the 2024 presidential election, Cheney made headlines for announcing he was voting for Democratic nominee Kamala Harris, the vice president at the time.

"There has never been an individual who is a greater threat to our republic than Donald Trump," Cheney said.

Cheney's daughter, former Republican Rep. Liz Cheney, was the target of Trump's ire over her role investigating the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol and her vote to impeach him. She also endorsed Harris.

Cheney's health issues and heart attacks

Cheney suffered five heart attacks throughout his life, with his first coming at age 37 in 1978 during his first congressional campaign. Two more heart attacks came while he was in Congress. The fourth happened after the 2000 election, while a battle dragged on over who won. The fifth was in 2010, after he left office.

The health issues, at times, arose at the same time medical advancements were being made widely available that would help extend his life.

"It's not true," he told USA TODAY in 2013 of the accusation that he received preferential treatment when he received a heart transplant in 2012.

On only one account did he receive a special exemption, according to cardiologist Jonathan Reiner. In 2007, Cheney had a defibrillator device placed that was specially produced by manufacturer Medtronic to exclude a feature that would allow it to be programmed remotely over Wi-Fi.

"I thought it didn't make a lot of sense for the vice president of the United States ... to have a device that someone in the next hotel room, someone downstairs, someone on the rope line, might get into and kill him," Reiner said.

Defender of 'enhanced interrogation' techniques

After leaving office, Cheney repeatedly defended "enhanced interrogation techniques" used against accused terrorists, arguing that the now-defunct techniques yielded useful intelligence.

"It worked, it absolutely worked," Cheney said of a CIA program that has been discontinued. The program amounted to "torture," according to Democrats, who said it included waterboarding and sleep deprivation. "I'd do it again in a minute," Cheney told NBC's "Meet the Press" in 2014.

"I was a big supporter of waterboarding," Cheney told ABC News in 2010.

The contentious, drawn-out 2000 election

The election that handed Cheney the vice presidency lasted 35 days from Election Day 2000 to the Democratic presidential candidate Al Gore's concession of the election.

It was one of the most contentious and drawn-out elections in American history, marred by logistical issues and problematic ballot design, and stretched by recounts and court debates, making it all the way to the Supreme Court.

This story has been updated to add new information.

Contributing: Susan Page, Joey Garrison, David Jackson, Joshua Bote and Ray Locker, USA TODAY

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Dick Cheney's career highlights: Key moments from Nixon and Ford to the Bushes and Trump

Reporting by Jeanine Santucci, USA TODAY / USA TODAY

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