Dhaka, March 21 -- Chuck Norris, the former martial arts champion and 1980s action-film hero who fought the bad guys in "Code of Silence," "Missing in Action" and "The Delta Force" and upheld the law in the TV series "Walker, Texas Ranger," died on Thursday, his family said in a statement on his Instagram account on Friday.

"While we would like to keep the circumstances private, please know that he was surrounded by his family and was at peace," the statement read.

The six-time undefeated World Professional Middleweight Karate Champion, whose tough-guy image inspired satirical "facts" that made him an internet phenomenon, had been hospitalised in Hawaii on Thursday, Variety reported.

Norris starred in more than two dozen films portrayi...