Former Vice President Walter Mondale Dead at 93

Walter Mondale, the influential former Senator, Vice President and Democratic nominee for president, is dead.

Mondale, who served as President Jimmy Carter's veep from 1977 to 1981, died Monday in Minneapolis ... according to his family.

Known as Fritz to loved ones, friends and voters, Mondale was the Democratic nominee for president in 1984 after transforming the VP role while serving alongside Carter ... but he lost the general election in a landslide to Ronald Reagan.

Despite missing out on the presidency, Mondale made history with his running mate Geraldine Ferraro ... making her the first woman to run for VP on a major party's ticket.

Mondale was the first VP to take on a larger role, becoming a model for those who followed ... including Joe Biden, Dick Cheney, Al Gore and George H.W. Bush.

In fact, Biden famously said Mondale was the first person he called when Barack Obama asked him to be vice president.

Mondale was born and raised in Minnesota and served as the state's U.S. Senator for 12 years from 1964 to 1976, helping boost civil rights, social programs and environmental protections during Lyndon B. Johnson's presidency.

He also served as the U.S. ambassador to Japan for 3 years, being appointed in 1993 by President Bill Clinton.

Mondale was 93.