Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter, Renowned Advocate for Human Rights, Dies at 100

Jimmy Carter, the former U.S. president and Nobel Peace Prize laureate, has died at the age of 100. Known for his dedication to international human rights, Carter continued his efforts long after leaving the White House.

The Carter Center confirmed his death in a post on X, stating, “Our founder, former U.S. President Jimmy Carter, passed away this afternoon in Plains, Georgia.”

Who was Jimmy Carter?

James Earl Carter Jr. (October 1, 1924 – December 29, 2024) was the 39th president of the United States, serving from 1977 to 1981.

A member of the Democratic Party, he was also the 76th governor of Georgia from 1971 to 1975 and a state senator from 1963 to 1967. Carter was the longest-living president in U.S. history, reaching the milestone of 100 years.

Born and raised in Plains, Georgia, Carter graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy in 1946 and joined the Navy’s submarine service.

After his military career, he returned to run his family’s peanut farm. An advocate for civil rights, Carter supported desegregation and became active in the Democratic Party.

As a little-known candidate, he won the Democratic nomination and went on to narrowly defeat President Gerald Ford in the 1976 election.

Ex-President Carter Leaves Behind a Legacy of Human Rights

Jimmy Carter, the former U.S. president, passed away at the age of 100. He was survived by his children: John William (Jack), James Earl III (Chip), Donnel Jeffrey (Jeff), and Amy Lynn. His wife of 77 years, Rosalynn, died on November 19, 2023, at 96.

In recent years, Carter faced multiple health challenges. He broke his hip in 2019 and underwent surgery.

He had also been diagnosed with metastatic melanoma, which spread to his brain, but he later stopped treatment after a new therapy showed positive results.

In February 2023, the Carter Center announced that Carter would begin hospice care at home, with full support from his family and medical team.

Despite his frailty, Carter attended Rosalynn’s public memorial service on November 28, 2023.

He was in a wheelchair and did not speak, but his daughter, Amy, read a letter Carter had written to Rosalynn 75 years earlier while he was serving in the Navy.

Jimmy Carter: A Legacy of Peace, Diplomacy, and Human Rights

Jimmy Carter, the son of a Georgia peanut farmer, first emerged on the national political scene in 1976 with a toothy grin and a simple declaration: “My name is Jimmy Carter, and I’m running for president.”

Carter’s administration achieved several notable milestones, including the Camp David Accords in 1978, where he brokered a peace agreement between Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin and Egyptian President Anwar Sadat.

This led to the Egypt-Israel Peace Treaty the following year. Carter also focused on energy independence during his presidency, laying the groundwork for U.S. policy in that area.

In 2002, Carter was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for his work through the Carter Center, making him the third U.S. president to receive the honor, after Theodore Roosevelt and Woodrow Wilson.

The Nobel Committee recognized him for his decades of effort to find peaceful solutions to global conflicts, promote democracy and human rights, and advance economic and social development.