Plains, Georgia —(Map)
Jimmy Carter, the 39th president of the United States, died on December 29, at the age of 100. Mr. Carter served one term as president, but is probably best known for the work he did after leaving office. He will be honored by the nation with a special service on Thursday.
James Earl Carter Jr. was born on October 1, 1924. He grew up in Plains, Georgia, where his father was a peanut farmer. He graduated from the US Naval Academy, and served on a Navy submarine during World War II. In 1946, Mr. Carter married Rosalynn Smith. The couple remained married until Rosalynn died in November, 2023.
After his time in the Navy, Mr. Carter returned to Georgia, where he took over the family’s peanut farm. He also began to get involved in local politics. In 1962 he was elected to the Georgia State Senate. In 1970, Mr. Carter was elected governor of Georgia.

(Source: US Navy [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons.)
In 1976, Mr. Carter ran for president, promising to bring honesty and fairness to the White House. He won the election, defeating Gerald Ford.
Mr. Carter was president from 1977 to 1981. During his time in office, Mr. Carter worked hard to bring peace to the Middle East, ending a long-running war between Israel and Egypt. He also helped create the Department of Education and the Department of Energy.
As time went on, US businesses began to struggle, there were gas shortages, and prices began to rise. In 1979, students in Iran took over the American embassy and held Americans prisoner for 444 days. Mr. Carter wasn’t able to rescue them. In 1980, Mr. Carter ran for president again, but lost to Ronald Reagan.

(Source: [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons.)
After he left office, Mr. Carter began to use his energy and ideas to help people around the globe. He helped create the Carter Center. The center’s projects trained health workers and helped get rid of dangerous diseases in countries around the world.
Mr. Carter worked hard to support human rights and to promote peace, as well as free and fair elections. In 2002, Mr. Carter was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for the work he did through the Carter Center.
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After he left office, Mr. Carter began to use his energy and ideas to help people around the globe. He helped start a center which solved healthcare problems and fought for human rights. Mr. Carter also helped build houses for people who don’t have a lot of money. Above, Mr. Carter working on a house in 2007.
His wife, Rosalynn, worked with Mr. Carter on many of these projects. The two were also well-known for helping build houses with a group called Habitat for Humanity, which helps provide houses for people who don’t have a lot of money.
Mr. Carter was a strongly religious man. He wrote more than 30 books, and taught Sunday school classes into his 90s.

(Source: Michael A. Schwarz [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons.)
At 100, Mr. Carter was America’s longest-lived president. His hard work after leaving office earned him great respect, and changed the way people thought about what an ex-president should do. His work improved the lives of people around the world. President Joe Biden described Mr. Carter as a man of “great character and courage, hope and optimism.”
This week, Mr. Carter will be honored in Washington, DC. President Biden has declared January 9 a National Day of Mourning. A special service will be held on Thursday. All five living US presidents are expected to attend.
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