Jimmy Carter dies at 100, other US presidents remember him

Former President Jimmy Carter has died at the age of 100.

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The beloved 39th President of the United States lived the longest of anyone who has held the office in the nation's history. He died Sunday at the family home in Plains, Georgia, according to his son.

Before running for president in 1976, Carter epitomized the ordinary American as a peanut farmer turned governor of Georgia. He won against incumbent President Gerald Ford with a program to restore public confidence after Richard Nixon's Watergate scandal.

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Carter successfully brokered peace between Israel and Egypt with the Camp David Accords of 1978, ending a 30-year war between the two countries. His administration clashed with the Soviet Union during the Cold War, including refusing to participate in the 1980 Moscow Olympics due to the invasion of Afghanistan.

According to Hip-Hop Wired, Despite a well-established reputation for strength and diplomacy, the Iranian hostage crisis was cited for tipping the balance in Ronald Reagan's victory in 1980. The occupation of the American embassy in Tehran lasted 444 days, with 52 Americans held hostage.

After just one difficult term, Carter dedicated himself to an even greater legacy outside the Oval Office. The decorated humanitarian spent nearly 40 years working with Habitat for Humanity.

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After battling several serious health issues like cancer, Carter recently said he hopes to live long enough to see Kamala Harris become president of the United States. His wife Rosalynn Carter preceded him in death at the age of 96 in 2023. He is survived by four children (Jack, Chip, Jeff and Amy); 11 grandchildren and 14 great-grandchildren.

Other US Presidents Remember Jimmy Carter's Life and Legacy

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Throughout his 100 years, Carter touched so many lives, but few knew him like the leaders who followed in his footsteps to the White House. President Joe Biden released a statement regarding the loss of an “extraordinary leader, statesman and humanitarian.”

“With his compassion and moral clarity, he worked to eradicate disease, forge peace, advance civil and human rights, promote free and fair elections, house the homeless, and always defend smallest among us. He has saved, improved and changed the lives of people all over the world,” his statement said.

Former President Barack Obama also reflected on Carter's life and legacy.

“Elected in the shadow of Watergate, Jimmy Carter promised voters that he would always tell the truth. And he did it – defending the public good, consequences be damned. He believed that some things were more important than re-election – things like integrity, respect and compassion. Because Jimmy Carter believed, as deeply as he believed in anything, that we are all made in the image of God.

“Every time I had the opportunity to spend time with President Carter, it was clear that he did not just profess these values. He embodied them. And in doing so, he taught us all what it means to live a life of grace, dignity, justice, and service. In his Nobel Prize acceptance speech, President Carter said: “God gives us the ability to choose. We can choose to relieve suffering. We can choose to work together for peace. He made this choice many times over his 100 years, and the world is better for it. » Obama wrote.

Former President Bill Clinton and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton remembered Carter for “living to serve others – until the very end.”

“From his commitment to civil rights as a state senator and governor of Georgia; to his efforts as president to protect our natural resources in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, make energy conservation a national priority, return the Panama Canal to Panama, and secure peace between Egypt and Israel at Camp David; to his post-presidential efforts at the Carter Center to support honest elections, advance peace, fight disease, and promote democracy; “thanks to his and Rosalynn’s dedication and hard work at Habitat for Humanity – he worked tirelessly for a better, more just world,” their statement said.

Our condolences to the family and loved ones of former President Jimmy Carter.