Forty years ago today, Robert Francis Kennedy was gunned down shortly after midnight. His assassination was one of our nation’s darkest moments, but RFK’s legacy lives on and inspires Americans young and old to this day.

Here’s a look at what some are saying about Robert F. Kennedy on this 40th anniversary of his tragic death in California …

• The enduring power of RFK’s living legacy - The Baltimore Sun

• The challenges our nation faces today were at the forefront of Robert Kennedy’s mind, and his career in public service - The Boston Globe

• How Sen. Barack Obama serves as a bridge between Kennedy and another fallen leader of his time, Martin Luther King, Jr. - RealClearPolitics

• Kennedy’s calming response to King’s death in Memphis was one of his finest hours - The BBC

• Remembering RFK’s 1968 campaign for the presidency - The Washington Post

• Robert Kennedy’s son, Joseph Kennedy, reflects on his father in a New York Times editorial.

• RFK’s younger brother, Ted Kennedy, now the family patriarch but battling health problems here in 2008, delivered RFK’s eulogy 40 years ago.