Washington  - Iconic news anchor Walter Cronkite, who helped set the tone of US journalism in World War II, the Kennedy assassination, the moon landing and the Vietnam War, died Friday at the age of 92, his family told CBS News.

Cronkite, who was born in St Joseph, Missouri in 1916, had been ill for several months with cerebrovascular disease.

Regarded as one of the all time greats of US journalism, Cronkite played a decisive role in establishing television as a leading news medium and in defining the standards for news anchors during his stint as anchor at CBS News from 1962 to 1981.

He was often called the "most trusted man in America."

"It is impossible to imagine CBS News, journalism or indeed America without Walter Cronkite," Sean McManus, president of CBS News, said in a statement.

"More than just the best and most trusted anchor in history, he guided America through our crises, tragedies and also our victories and greatest moments."

Cronkite established his legendary reputation with his marathon coverage of the assassination of president John F Kennedy in 1963. His sympathetic reporting of the civil rights struggle was key in winning over American public opinion, while his conclusion that the Vietnam War was unwinnable in 1968 eroded the support of middle America for the controversial conflict.

Katie Couric, the current anchor of the CBS Evening News, said Cronkite was so trusted "because he exhibited a sense of purpose and compassion, night after night. He was the personification of excellence." (dpa)