Former US president Jimmy Carter dies aged 100
Carter, who rose from humble beginnings in rural Georgia to lead the nation from 1977 to 1981, had been in hospice care since early 2023.
Jimmy Carter, the 100-year-old former US president and Nobel Peace laureate who rose from humble beginnings in rural Georgia to lead the nation from 1977 to 1981, has died.
Carter had been in hospice care since mid-February 2023 at his home in Plains, Georgia — the same small town where he was born and once ran a peanut farm before becoming governor of the Peach State and running for the White House.
Carter died “peacefully” at his home in Plains, “surrounded by his family,” The Carter Center said in a statement.
“My father was a hero, not only to me but to everyone who believes in peace, human rights and unselfish love,” Chip Carter, the former president’s son, said in the statement.
Carter was the oldest living ex-US leader and the nation’s longest-lived president — an outcome that seemed unlikely back in 2015 when the Southern Democrat revealed he had brain cancer.
But the US Navy veteran and fervent Christian repeatedly defied the odds to enjoy a long and fruitful post-presidency, after four years in the Oval Office often seen as disappointing.
During his single term, Carter placed a commitment on human rights and social justice, enjoying a strong first two years that included brokering a peace deal between Israel and Egypt dubbed the Camp David Accords.
But his administration hit numerous snags — the most serious being the taking of US hostages in Iran and the disastrous failed attempt to rescue the 52 captive Americans in 1980. He also came in for criticism for his handling of an oil crisis.
In November of that year, Republican challenger Ronald Reagan clobbered Carter at the polls, relegating the Democrat to just one term.
Reagan, a former actor and governor of California, swept into office on a wave of staunch conservatism.
Fellow US presidents pay tribute to Carter
Carter was “a man of principle, faith and humility,” President Joe Biden said on Sunday, after hearing of the former US leader’s death.
“America and the world lost an extraordinary leader, statesman and humanitarian,” Biden and his wife Jill said in a statement, in which he also announced there would be a state funeral for Carter.
“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.”
Americans owe Jimmy Carter “a debt of gratitude,” US president-elect Donald Trump said.
“The challenges Jimmy faced as President came at a pivotal time for our country and he did everything in his power to improve the lives of all Americans,” Trump said on social media. “For that, we all owe him a debt of gratitude.”
Carter “worked tirelessly for a better, fairer world,” White House successor Bill Clinton said.
Clinton, who served 15 years after Carter’s single 1977-1981 term, said in a joint statement with his wife Hillary that the fellow Democrat “lived to serve others — until the very end.”
Barack Obama said Carter “taught all of us what it means to live a life of grace, dignity, justice and service”.
Obama said he and his wife Michelle “send our thoughts and prayers to the Carter family, and everyone who loved and learned from this remarkable man.”
George W. Bush said Carter’s legacy would “inspire Americans for generations”.
Carter’s post-presidency work, including building affordable housing and on public health and global democracy through his nonprofit Carter Center, “set an example of service that will inspire Americans for generations,” Bush said in a statement.
Rest in peace to Submariner LT James Earl Carter Jr, USN (Ret). Carter, the only U.S. President to graduate from the U.S. Naval Academy, leaves a legacy of service. The USS Jimmy Carter (SSN-23), a Seawolf-class fast-attack submarine, carries his name in honor of his dedication… pic.twitter.com/UKJWkLFc6v
— VoteVets (@votevets) December 29, 2024
Active post-presidency
As the years passed, a more nuanced image of Carter emerged — one that took into account his significant post-presidential activities and reassessed his achievements.
He founded the Carter Center in 1982 to pursue his vision of world diplomacy, and he was the recipient of the 2002 Nobel Peace Prize for his tireless efforts to promote social and economic justice.
He observed numerous elections around the world and emerged as a prominent international mediator, tackling global problems from North Korea to Bosnia.
Carter, known for his toothy smile, said basic Christian tenets such as justice and love served as the bedrock of his presidency. He taught Sunday school at Maranatha Baptist, his church in Plains, well into his 90s.
In recent years, he had received various hospital treatments, including when he revealed in August 2015 that he had brain cancer and was undergoing radiation.
US Senator Raphael Warnock of Georgia, who is the pastor at Ebenezer Baptist Church where Martin Luther King Jr preached, wished the Carter family comfort as the former president entered hospice last year.
“Across life’s seasons, President Jimmy Carter, a man of great faith, has walked with God,” Warnock wrote on X, then Twitter.
“In this tender time of transitioning, God is surely walking with him.”
In April 2021, President Joe Biden and his wife, Jill, met with the Carters at their home in Plains.
The White House later released a photo showing the couples smiling together, although only Rosalynn was seen by the press outside, bidding the Bidens farewell while using a walker.
Rosalynn, Carter’s wife of 77 years, died on November 19, 2023 at age 96.
The former president, who looked frail, poignantly appeared at her memorial service in a wheelchair, with a blanket on his lap bearing their likenesses.
Carter is survived by the couple’s four children, three sons and a daughter.
AFP
More Coverage
Pentagon names remaining unidentified crew member killed in Washington crash
Copilot’s identity had been withheld – without explanation – after President Trump suggested diversity policies played a role in midair collision.
Why Arab states hate Trump’s plan to relocate Palestinians
A history of violent conflict is among the reasons that regional neighbors are opposed to providing a haven for war-weary Gazans