The Twilight Zone host and creator Rod Serling passed away on this day 45 years ago, and the legendary TV star is still remembered fondly by his daughter, Anne Serling, and his many, many fans. As a timeless classic, The Twilight Zone continues to remain a popular series as new generations discover the show on streaming services. This has also kept Serling one of pop culture's most beloved and recognizable figures, even nearly five decades after his untimely passing.

On Twitter, Anne posted a touching tribute to her father, writing a moving caption on a photograph of Rod Serling kneeling before the sky. ""My father left behind countless friends that summer day in 1975 when the sky was too bright and the sun, scalding," the caption reads. "He could not have known the sheer devastation so many would feel when they heard the news of his passing. Something was extinguished in us all that June day. Something quite imitable and irreplaceable vanished." You can take a look at the tweet below.

Rodman Edward Serling was born on Christmas day in 1924. Early into his career in entertainment, Serling would clash with television producers and sponsors and quickly grew frustrated with the way his scripts would have things like political statements and ethnic identities removed. "I don't want to have to compromise all the time, which in essence is what a television writer does if he wants to put on controversial themes," Serling would explain in an interview with Mike Wallace, detailing his plans to start his own television series so he wouldn't be betrodden to these kinds of limitations.

The rest is history, as they say. Serling would go on to create The Twilight Zone with its first episode premiering on CBS in 1959. Also serving as the host in the intro and outro of each episode, Serling's appearances are just as amazing as the stories themselves. Additionally, he would create and host the horror anthology series Night Gallery which would similarly develop a cult following of its own. As a creative genius, there was still so much else left for Serling to give when he died at the young age of 50 on July 28, 1975. Still, his work will always be appreciated and his legacy will live on forever.

As for The Twilight Zone, the classic Serling-created series has also found new life on CBS All Access, courtesy of Oscar-winning filmmaker Jordan Peele. With Peele serving as the host of the newest revival, the series debuted in 2019, and the second season premiered in its entirety on the streaming service just days ago. You can also watch the original version of the series with Serling on Netflix. Serling might have left us far too soon, but something tells me he would be very proud to know his life and legacy are still celebrated to such an extent so many decades later. The tweet shown above comes from Anne Serling on Twitter, and you can look below to see some of the many tweets paying tribute to Rod Serling on the 45th anniversary of his death.