Jimmy Carter, the 39th President of the United States, has passed away at the age of 100.
The peanut farmer who became president in the wake of some of the most difficult times in the United States, Jimmy Carter, was more than just a president, he was a humanitarian. He passed away peacefully at home according to a statement by the Carter Foundation and was surrounded by his family.
Jimmy Carter lived at his home in the town of Plains, Georgia. He and his wife, Rosalynn, spent the majority of their lives there, including when his wife died at the age of 96 in November 2023.
The death was announced on the social media platform, X by his foundation. Reaction began to pour in from worldwide very quickly, including a message from President Joe Biden.
According to Biden, the world lost an ‘extraordinary leader, statesman, and humanitarian’. In addition, Joe Biden and Jimmy Carter were close friends, so he is undoubtedly feeling the loss on a very personal level.
He continued to say: “To all of the young people in this nation and for anyone in search of what it means to live a life of purpose and meaning – the good life – study Jimmy Carter, a man of principle, faith, and humility.”
January 9 has been declared as a National Day of Mourning across the United States and US flags will fly at half-staff for 30 days beginning Sunday.
Carter, who was known for his charity work and as an author, businessman, and Navy officer, made a path in politics that very few people have been able to do. He is one of only 45 men who have held the highest office in the United States.
He once said: “My faith demands – and this is not optional – my faith demands that I do whatever I can, wherever I can, whenever I can, for as long as I can, with whatever I have to try to make a difference.”
Jimmy Carter entered the presidential race in 1976. He was a governor of Georgia at the time with a broad smile and was a man of the people, as he was a peanut farmer. He went from being in a somewhat unknown political office to the president.
He beat Gerald Ford in that election, who became president after Richard Nixon left office. He also lost a lot of popularity by pardoning Nixon, which helped Jimmy Carter to win the election.
When Jimmy Carter was president, the Cold War was full-blown and there were many issues, from women’s rights to racism and economic problems. Through it all, he was able to achieve a Mideast peace deal that is still talked about today.
Another issue that President Carter had to face was the hostage crisis in Iran, where hostages were held for 444 days. During that time, eight Americans died during a failed hostage rescue in April 1980. Shortly after, he would lose to Republican Ronald Reagan.
After being defeated in the 1980 election, he would go on to found The Carter Center and work toward international peace. He said he wasn’t interested in only building a museum or storing his White House records, he wanted a place where they could work.
Jimmy Carter lived a life that many other people could never dream of living. He will be missed by many. May he rest in peace.
