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Chuck Norris dies at 86, internet pays tribute with memes: 'Jesus gained a bodyguard today'
Chuck Norris, martial arts champion and action star, passed away on Friday at age 86.
Martial arts icon and action film legend Chuck Norris has died. His passing has triggered an outpouring of tributes online, with many fans remembering him through the iconic memes that made him a digital legend.
Norris died on Friday in what his family described as a “sudden passing.” “While we would like to keep the circumstances private, please know that he was surrounded by his family and was at peace,” his family said in a statement shared on social media.
Even as fans expressed grief, social media platforms were quickly filled with Chuck Norris memes - a long-running internet phenomenon celebrating his exaggerated strength and invincibility.
Take a look at some of the most interesting memes circulating online as fans pay tribute to Chuck Norris:
About Chuck Norris
Born in Oklahoma in 1940, Norris was a celebrated American martial artist and actor. He joined the US Air Force after high school in 1958. It was during a deployment to Korea that he started training in martial arts. After leaving the Air Force, he became a six-time undefeated world karate champion and eventually founded his own American style of Karate in the 60s, known at times as Chun Kuk Do and the United Fighting Arts Federation.
He first gained global recognition in 1972 with Enter the Dragon, where he starred alongside Bruce Lee. He later featured in films such as Delta Force and Missing in Action.
In recent times, he was part of the 2024 sci-fi action movie Agent Recon. He is also due to appear in Zombie Plane, an upcoming film starring Vanilla Ice.
Just over a week before his death, Norris had celebrated his birthday and shared a sparring video on Instagram. “I don’t age. I level up,” he wrote.
Norris is survived by his wife, Gena O’Kelley, and five children.
