The Rev Billy Graham, who transformed American religious life through his preaching and activism, has died at the age of 99.

Mr Graham, who had been suffering from cancer, pneumonia and a number of other illnesses, was a counsellor to American presidents and travelled the globe to become perhaps the most widely heard Christian evangelist in history.

Spokesman Mark DeMoss said Mr Graham died at his home in North Carolina on Wednesday morning.

He reached more than 200 million people through his appearances and millions more through his pioneering use of television and radio.

Unlike many traditional evangelists, he abandoned narrow fundamentalism to engage broader society.