Look back at some of the best moments from the best comedian of the counterculture.

George Carlin was the cranky, complaining, ingenious voice of American comedy. He began his career in the 1960s as a traditional stand-up with short hair and a suit, but as the 1970s came around and his career began to fizzle, he embraced the hippy movement and found his signature style of telling it like it is. 

Over the next few decades, audiences looked to him for his biting satire, sharp wit, and scathing critiques of American culture. He was the first host of Saturday Night Live, the first to utter words onstage that we can’t even type here, and the first to show other comics just how impactful a joke could be.

Here are some of Carlin’s most legendary career highlights, and most memorable jokes.