Jimmy Carter, the 39th President of the United States, has died. Carter was 100 years old, making him the longest-living U.S. President in history, and the first to live 100 years.
The Carter Center—the non-profit human rights organization founded by Carter and his late wife, Rosalynn—announced the former president’s death Sunday afternoon on Twitter/X. “Our founder, former U.S. President Jimmy Carter, passed away this afternoon in Plains, Georgia,” was the entire statement shared to the social media platform. Carter had been in hospice care since early 2023, and was reportedly in good spirits when he celebrated his 100th birthday in October. Rosalynn died last November, also in hospice care.
Carter was born in 1924 in Plains, Georgia. After graduating from the Naval Academy and completing his military service, Carter worked as a peanut farmer and lived briefly with Rosalynn and their three sons in public housing, making him the only president to ever do so. In 1963, Carter was elected to the Georgia state senate, and eventually was elected the state’s governor in 1970. During his governorship, then-President Richard Nixon resigned and Gerald Ford was inaugurated. After a couple of tense Democratic primaries in 1968 and 1972, Carter achieved a relatively easy victory in the primary and eventually won the presidency from Ford.
The years of Carter’s presidency are often remembered as tumultuous ones for the United States. Almost immediately after taking office, Carter pardoned every Vietnam draft dodger. The years of the late 70s are also remembered for an energy crisis and escalating tensions in the Cold War. However, Carter’s successful negotiation of the Camp David Accords, the establishment of the Departments of Energy and Education, and increased attention to the climate (exemplified, for better or worse, by the neighborhood of Love Canal in upstate New York) are more positively remembered. Carter’s presidency ended on a rather dour note; the Iran Hostage Crisis dominated his final year in office, and the hostages were ultimately released minutes after his successor, Ronald Reagan, was sworn into office.
Carter’s years post-presidency are often highlighted for his commitments to charity and service work. In 1982, Carter established the Carter Center in partnership with Emory University. In 2002, Carter was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. The Norwegian Nobel Committee cited his negotiation in the Camp David Accords in addition to his work with the Center, writing at the time, “Carter has stood by the principles that conflicts must as far as possible be resolved through mediation and international co-operation based on international law, respect for human rights, and economic development.” Carter also became known for his work with Habitat For Humanity, a nonprofit organization that builds housing for low-income families. Carter also remained an active voice in politics, offering both praise and criticism of all of the presidents to follow him. He authored over two dozen books over the course of his life, including a novel, memoirs, children’s books, and insights into Israel and Palestine. In 2005, he told reporters (per Reuters), “I can't deny I'm a better ex-president than I was a president."
