Former President Jimmy Carter, the peanut farmer from Georgia who rose to become America’s 39th president, has died at 100. The nation’s longest-living president passed away Tuesday at his longtime home in Plains, Ga., after over a year in hospice care. His death follows the passing of his wife, Rosalynn, eight months ago at 96. The Carters were married for an astonishing 77 years.
Carter’s presidency from 1977 to 1981 was a whirlwind of highs and lows. He brokered the landmark Camp David Accords, bringing peace between Israel and Egypt, but his tenure was also marked by gas shortages, inflation, and the Iran hostage crisis, which contributed to his landslide defeat to Ronald Reagan in 1980.
Born James Earl Carter Jr. on Oct. 1, 1924, in the tiny town of Plains, Carter was the eldest of four children to Earl Carter, a farmer and businessman, and Lillian Gordy Carter, a nurse. He attended the U.S. Naval Academy and served in the Navy’s elite nuclear submarine program before returning home in 1953 to take over the family’s peanut business after his father’s death.
His rise in politics was steady. From the local school board to state senator to governor of Georgia, Carter built a reputation as a forward-thinking leader, focusing on civil rights and government reform. His underdog bid for the White House stunned the political world when he defeated Republican incumbent Gerald Ford in 1976.
After leaving Washington, Carter carved out an extraordinary second act. He and Rosalynn founded the Carter Center in Atlanta, a powerhouse for promoting democracy, fighting disease, and advocating for peace worldwide. Carter became a hands-on volunteer with Habitat for Humanity, hammering nails on construction sites well into his later years. His efforts earned him a Nobel Peace Prize in 2002 and countless other accolades, including the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
Carter never strayed far from his Plains roots. The couple’s modest ranch house, where they lived for more than six decades, became a symbol of their unassuming nature. In 2022, Plains celebrated Carter’s 98th birthday with a parade in his honor, underscoring his status as a hometown hero.
Jimmy Carter is survived by his children Amy, Chip, Jack, and Jeff, along with 11 grandchildren and 14 great-grandchildren. He will be buried next to Rosalynn at their family plot, just a stone’s throw from the front porch of their lifelong home.
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