PHOTOS: The many faces of Steve Jobs

Steve Jobs, billionaire co-founder of Apple and the genius behind revolutionary products that stunned the world and made his company one of the world's top technology companies, died in California at the age of 56 on Wednesday.

Jobs had stepped down in August as the Apple chief executive. He was fighting pancreatic cancer and had also undergone a liver transplant in 2009.

In a somber statement, the Apple board of directors said: "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," the statement added.

The company said: "Apple has lost a visionary and creative genius, and the world has lost an amazing human being." 

IMAGE: Steve Jobs gestures while delivering his keynote speech at Macworld on January 9, 2007 in San Francisco, California.

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Steve Jobs is shown at a press conference at the first international NextWorld Expo in San Francisco January 22, 1992.

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Steve Jobs stands beneath a photograph of him and Apple co founder Steve Wozniak from the early days of Apple during the launch of Apple's new 'iPad' tablet computing device in San Francisco, California, January 27, 2010.

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Steve Jobs walks through the crowd after a special event in San Francisco September 9, 2009.

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Steve Jobs poses with the company's iBook portable computer at the MacWorld computer trade show in New York on July 21, 1999.

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Steve Jobs arrives with the team from the best picture nominate film Up at the 82nd Academy Awards in Hollywood March 7, 2010.

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Steve Jobs makes a joke about his blood pressure after introducing the new laptop at a news conference in Cupertino, California, October 14, 2008.

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Maria Shriver (L) kisses Steve Jobs after being inducted into the California Hall of Fame in Sacramento, California, December 5, 2007.

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Steve Jobs looks at the crowds at the grand opening of the new Apple Store on 5th Avenue in New York May 19, 2006.

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Jobs is seen in a January 1997 file photo, rejoining Apple after the computer company purchased his NeXT software firm.

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Steve Jobs gives his keynote address at the MacWorld Convention and Expo in San Francisco January 15, 2008.

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Steve Jobs appears on stage during a news conference at Apple headquarters in Cupertino, California, July 16, 2010.

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Steve Jobs talks to the media during the introduction of Apple's iPhone in Berlin September 19, 2007.

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Jobs speaks during a special event in Tokyo on August 4, 2005.

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Steve Jobs takes the stage at a special event in San Francisco on September 9, 2009.

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Steve Jobs holds Apple's new Macbook Air notebook computer as he delivers his keynote address during the MacWorld Convention and Expo in San Francisco January 15, 2008.

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Jobs is pictured with an image of server farm in Maiden, North Carolina as discusses the iCloud service at the Apple Worldwide Developers Conference in San Francisco, California, June 6, 2011.

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Steve Jobs holds the new iPhone in San Francisco, California on January 9, 2007.

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Steve Jobs sits next to the new Apple iPod Hi-Fi which he introduced at an event for press and industry analysts at Apple headquarters in Cupertino, California, February 28, 2006.

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Steve Jobs gives a wave at the conclusion of the launch of the iPad 2 on stage during an Apple event in San Francisco, California March 2, 2011.

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Steve Jobs is shown in this combination photograph dating (top row L to R) 2000, 2003, 2005, (bottom row L to R) 2006, 2008 and 2009.

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Apple co-founder Steve Jobs takes the stage beneath a sign that makes light of reports on his health.

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Steve Jobs smiles after the Apple's music-themed September media event in San Francisco, California September 1, 2010.

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Steve Jobs talks during a presentation in November, 1999.

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Jobs unveiling the latest Mac operating system software named Lion.

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Jobs and Laurene Powell at the 82nd Annual Academy Awards in Hollywood.

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Steve Jobs says he would trade all his technology for an afternoon with Socrates.