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Chuck Norris became an inadvertent source of humour for a viral online celebration of his movie tough guy persona.
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Originating on message boards in the early 2000s, the memes, dubbed "Chuck Norris facts", became a genre of their own by the 2010s. They jokingly portrayed the actor as superhuman, terrifying and god-like.
The 86-year-old died on Thursday after being admitted to hospital in the state of Hawaii.
In a statement posted online, his family said they wanted to keep the circumstances "private".
"While our hearts are broken, we are deeply grateful for the life he lived and for the unforgettable moments we were blessed to share with him," they wrote.
Greta Norris, the actor's granddaughter, paid tribute to him on social media, revealing that she, too, was aware of her grandpa's status in the internet hall of fame.
"You all knew Chuck Norris as the man that counted to infinity twice, the man who got bit by a cobra and the cobra died," she says. "The world truly lost an icon and I lost my grandpa."
Behind the scenes of Walker, Texas Ranger with Chuck NorrisWhere did the Chuck Norris memes come from?Meme fan Steven Goodwin, 64, says the viral gags have been around for years - starting as jokes during the heydey of Norris' acting career.
In the 1970s and 80s, he solidified himself as an action star with movies Missing in Action and Bruce Lee's The Way of the Dragon.
But the memes ensured he remained a potent cultural force long after his last big-screen credits rolled.
"They were everywhere," Goodwin said of the online gags. "Chuck Norris did everything better than everyone else. He was stronger, faster, tougher."
But many young people say they only know the jokes - without any other context about Norris.
"I feel like, for most of my generation, the 'Chuck Norris doesn't x' meme format was really about all we knew about him," said Sam Smith, 25.
"He kind of just fit a masculine action-star stereotype
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