Steve Jobs dead at 56

Steve Jobs, who led Apple during its creative and business renaissance of the last decade, has died, Apple announced.

Jobs had suffered from pancreatic cancer; he had a liver transplant in 2009.

Apple released a statement on its website that read "Apple has lost a visionary and creative genius, and the world has lost an amazing human being."

"Steve leaves behind a company that only he could have built," the statement continues.

Fitting the penchant for clean, minimalist design that Apple - and Jobs - promoted, the statement was found behind a simple portrait of Jobs that took over Apple's home page.

The company is encouraging users to email their stories of how Jobs affected them to rememberingsteve@apple.com

News of Jobs' passing raced through social media networks Wednesday night. President Obama's BarackObama account Tweeted, "Rest in peace, Steve Jobs. From all of us at #Obama2012, thank you for the work you make possible every day—including ours."

More details will follow.