When the Southern Democrat announced in 2015 that he had brain cancer, it seemed improbable that Jimmy Carter would end up being the longest-living US president.
Washington, USA: According to his nonprofit organization, Jimmy Carter, the 100-year-old former US president and Nobel Peace Prize winner who led the country from 1977 to 1981 after rising from modest beginnings in rural Georgia, passed away on Sunday.
Since mid-February 2023, Carter has been receiving hospice care at his home in Plains, Georgia, the same tiny community where he was born, where he previously operated a peanut farm before winning the Peach State governorship and entering the presidential race.
Carter passed away “peacefully” at his Plains home “surrounded by his family,” according to a statement from the Carter Center.
Chip Carter stated, “My father was a hero, not only to me but to everyone who believes in peace, human rights, and unselfish love,” in the statement.
When the Southern Democrat announced he had brain cancer in 2015, it seemed improbable that Carter would go on to become the longest-living US president.
However, after four years in the White House that were frequently viewed as underwhelming, the US Navy veteran and devout Christian consistently beat the odds to enjoy a lengthy and productive post-presidency.
Carter made a commitment to social justice and human rights during his one term. He had a successful first two years, which included mediating the Camp David Accords, a peace agreement between Egypt and Israel.
However, his presidency had many setbacks, chief among them the 1980 unsuccessful attempt to free the 52 American hostages and the capture of US hostages in Iran. He was also criticized for how he handled the oil crisis.
Carter was only allowed to serve one term after Republican opponent Ronald Reagan crushed him at the polls in November of that year. Former actor and California governor Ronald Reagan came to power on a wave of extreme conservatism.
Post-presidency active
As time went on, a more complex picture of Carter surfaced, one that considered his noteworthy post-presidential endeavors.
In order to realize his vision of global diplomacy, he established the Carter Center in 1982. In recognition of his unwavering efforts to advance social and economic fairness, he was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2002.
He became a well-known international mediator, addressing issues ranging from Bosnia to North Korea, and he watched many elections throughout the world.
Known for his toothy smile, Carter claimed that the foundation of his presidency was made up of fundamental Christian principles like justice and love. Long into his 90s, he was a Sunday school teacher at his Plains church, Maranatha Baptist.
He has undergone a number of hospital treatments in recent years, including when he disclosed in August 2015 that he had brain cancer and was receiving radiation therapy.
“Humanitarian, statesman, and leader”
Regarding Carter’s involvement in mediating the 1978 Camp David Accords, Egyptian leader Abdel Fattah al-Sisi praised him on Sunday as “a symbol of humanitarian efforts” and said his efforts will “remain etched in the annals of history.”
Former, current, and incoming White House leaders all sent their condolences. Carter, according to Bill Clinton, “worked tirelessly for a better, fairer world.” Carter’s legacy would “inspire Americans for generations,” according to George W. Bush, and Barack Obama said the former president “taught all of us what it means to live a life of grace, dignity, justice, and service.”
In another social media post, Donald Trump claimed that Americans owed the Democrat “a debt of gratitude,” but he also stated that “I strongly disagreed with him philosophically and politically.”
Since Trump has threatened to reclaim the Panama Canal, one of Carter’s most significant foreign policy accomplishments—negotiating the canal’s return to Panama—has come back into the spotlight.
“America and the world lost an extraordinary leader, statesman, and humanitarian,” read a statement from current President Joe Biden and his wife, Jill.
“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.”
The Bidens visited the Carters at their Plains home in April 2021.
Only Rosalynn was spotted by the media outside, saying goodbye to the Bidens while using a walker, although the White House later published a picture of the couples grinning together.
On November 19, 2023, Carter’s wife of 77 years, Rosalynn, passed away at the age of 96.
At her memorial service, the former president, who appeared weak, made a moving appearance in a wheelchair while holding a blanket with their likenesses on it.
The couple’s four children—three sons and a daughter—survive Carter.
