Jimmy Carter, the 39th President of the United States, has passed away at the age of 100 in his home in the small town of Plains, Georgia. He outlived his wife, Rosalynn, by a year and a few months, who died in November 2023 at the age of 96.
In his final years, the politician battled a melanoma, a cancerous tumor that had spread to his liver and brain. In February 2023, the Carter Center announced that the former President had declined further medical treatment and decided to spend the rest of his life at home with his family, opting for hospice care instead. Carter leaves behind four children, 11 grandchildren, and 14 great-grandchildren.
The Democrat from Georgia was the longest-lived President in U.S. history. He had only one term in the White House and was defeated by Ronald Reagan in 1980. However, Carter dedicated the following decades to international relations and human rights. He supported the Habitat for Humanity project, which provided housing for the poor, and founded the Carter Center to promote human rights. In 2002, he was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for “his untiring efforts to find peaceful solutions to international conflicts, to advance democracy and human rights, and to promote economic and social development.”
Carter entered office in 1977 as “Jimmy Who?” – a former Georgia governor, a devout Christian, and a relatively unknown figure, according to The Guardian. In September 1977, he signed an agreement to return the Panama Canal to Panama by the year 2000 (Donald Trump has since hinted at the possibility of the U.S. regaining control of the canal).
In 1978, Carter brought together Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin and Egyptian President Anwar al-Sadat at Camp David, leading to a peace agreement that has held to this day (although the “Camp David Plot” ultimately cost Sadat his life).
In 1979, the Soviet Union’s invasion of Afghanistan prompted Carter to boycott the 1980 Summer Olympics in Moscow. He authorized the CIA to secretly aid the anti-Soviet Islamist mujahideen fighters, a covert effort that ultimately contributed to the Soviet withdrawal and the rise of the Taliban.
Carter also presided over the crisis of the 52 American hostages in Iran: in November 1979, Islamist students stormed the US embassy in Tehran and held the hostages for 444 days. A failed military rescue operation in April 1980 resulted in the deaths of eight US soldiers. The hostages were finally released on January 20, 1981, just hours after Carter left office.
Carter’s grandson, Jason, revealed that his grandfather had voted for Vice President Kamala Harris, the Democrat, in the 2024 presidential election.
In response to Carter’s passing, President Joe Biden declared January 9, 2025, a national day of mourning in the United States. Public farewell ceremonies will take place in Atlanta and Washington, D.C., followed by a private burial in Plains. Carter will be buried beside Rosalynn in a grave visible from the veranda of their home, built over more than six decades ago.