Former US President Jimmy Carter Dies

Former president Jimmy Carter, the 39th U.S. president and a Nobel Peace Prize winner, died on Dec. 29, 2024, at his home in Plains, Georgia. He was 100 and had been in hospice care since early 2023.

Carter, who was born on Oct. 1, 1924, in Plains, Ga., graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy in 1946 and served in the Navy until 1953. He later came back to Georgia to help run his family’s peanut farming business. His political life started in the Georgia State Senate and included a term as the state’s governor from 1971 to 1975. By 1976 he was elected President of the United States, serving from 1977 to 1981.

Achievements and Challenges in Carter’s Presidency

Most notably, he negotiated the Camp David Accords in 1978, resulting in a peace treaty between Egypt and Israel. But his administration also faced economic hardship and the Iran hostage crisis, which played a role in his defeat in the 1980 election.

Carter spent decades doing humanitarian work after he left office. His Carter Center, established with his wife Rosalynn in 1982, has worked worldwide as a nonpartisan human rights and democracy development organization and on disease prevention issues. He was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2002 for his dedication to those causes.

In his post-presidency years, Carter kept busy; he spent time with his family and continued his role as a public servant. His public service and humanitarian efforts continued well into his old age, marking him as a man deeply committed to social justice and human rights.

Carter was married to Rosalynn Smith for 77 years until her death in 2023. They had four children together. Carter lived long enough to become the longest-lived U.S. president. Tributes have poured in from far and wide, with leaders and citizens alike paying homage to Carter’s legacy of peace, humanitarianism and integrity. President Joe Biden has directed a state funeral to memorialize Carter’s life and service to the country.

Carter’s death, marks the closing chapter of a life well-lived that was devoted to service, with a lasting mark at home and abroad.