"He recently faced the greatest challenge of his life with a life-threatening case of pneumonia," said the statement from Zamperini's family. "After a 40-day long battle for his life, he peacefully passed away in the presence of his entire family, leaving behind a legacy that has touched so many lives. His indomitable courage and fighting spirit were never more apparent than in these last days."

Zamperini was part of the Olympic track and field team that participated in the 1936 Berlin Olympic Games. He was the youngest American to qualify for the 5,000-meter category. Although he finished in 8th place, he ran his last lap in just 56 seconds. Adolf Hitler took notice of the young athlete and set up a meeting with him.

When the second world war broke, the Olympian volunteered in the U.S. Army Air Corps. His plane crashed in 1943 in the Pacific Ocean, where he survived and floated adrift for 47 days in the open water. He was then captured by Japanese seamen, and was imprisoned for two years.

Zamperini wrote two books about his life: published in 1956 and 2003, both were called "Devil at My Heels." His story was again told in the 2010 bestseller Unbroken, a book by Laura Hillenbrand.

Recently, Zamperini became good friends with Angelina Jolie, who is directing the movie version of Unbroken. The two were also neighbors in Los Angeles.

"It is a loss impossible to describe," the actress said in a statement. "We are all so grateful for how enriched our lives are for having known him. We will miss him terribly."

Universal Pictures, which is releasing the movie also released a statement. "We are so profoundly sad at this moment, and all of our thoughts and prayers are with the Zamperini family. Louis was truly one of a kind. He lived the most remarkable life, not because of the many unbelievable incidents that marked his near century's worth of years, but because of the spirit with which he faced every one of them."

Unbroken will open on cinemas, Christmas Day 2014.