Jimmy Carter currently the longest-living president in U.S. history.
He turned 99 on October 1.
He was in office from 1977 until 1981, serving as the 39th President of the United States.
Throughout his time in office, he dedicated his presidency to tackling social and environmental issues.
He took an interest in environmental issues.
In 1977, he signed legislation to create the Department of Energy. On the following year, President Carter signed the National Energy Act, which addressed the energy production of the U.S., including energy efficiency, renewable energy, oil and gas, and climate change technology. Then, in 1979, he gave the “Crisis of Confidence” speech, detailing plans to reduce oil imports.
Camp David Accords
One of the biggest achievements of his presidency was mediating the Camp David Accords in 1978 between Egypt and Israel. It led to a monumental peace treaty, ending the war between the two countries.
In 1980, Jimmy ran for re-election but lost to Ronald Reagan.
After President Carter’s challenging presidency, Reagan became the more popular option and defeated him by a landslide.
President Carter’s life post-presidency was dedicated to philanthropy.
The Carter Center
Once his presidency ended, he established The Carter Center, a non-profit organization that focused on addressing human rights issues by helping improve the quality of life of people around the globe.
“The Carter Center’s basic premise, since we founded it, has been to fill vacuums in the world,” President Jimmy Carter explained in a 2012 interview with Georgia Trend. “When the world is in a crisis stage, like it currently is economically, we have a lot of opportunities.”
As he explained in the interview, “If the U.S. government, or the United Nations, or the World Health Organization, or a university is taking care of a problem, we don’t get involved. We take on the issues no one else is addressing.”
The Carter Center’s achievements were celebrated.
President Carter’s work through The Carter Center earned him a Nobel Peace Prize in 2002.
President Carter’s other humanitarian efforts post-presidency
He additionally has been involved in organization Habitat for Humanity, which provides affordable housing for underprivileged citizens.
First Lady Rosalynn Carter is just as dedicated to humanitarian actions.
Besides joining her husband in The Carter Center’s work, she also participated in Habitat for Humanity.
There’s one cause in particular that meant a lot to her: mental health.
She promoted policies to improve mental health care in the U.S. and wrote a guide for caretakers of people living with mental illness, titled Helping Someone with Mental Illness: A Compassionate Guide for Family, Friends, and Caregivers.
Recently, the Carter family experienced a devastating loss.
On Nov. 17, it was announced that Rosalynn had entered hospice care. Two days later, she died at home surrounded by loved ones.
“Rosalynn was my equal partner in everything I ever accomplished,” said President Carter in a statement. “She gave me wise guidance and encouragement when I needed it. As long as Rosalynn was in the world, I always knew somebody loved and supported me.”
The couple had been married for 77 years.
“The best thing I ever did was marrying Rosalynn,” said President Carter in a 2015 interview. “That’s the pinnacle of my life.”
Rosalynn knew President Carter all of her life.
The former president was first introduced to his future wife when he was three years old and she was a newborn. His mother Lillian was a nurse and helped deliver Rosalynn.
The lovebirds stood by each other throughout their entire marriage.
“Though we faced extraordinary responsibilities and lived a life we could have never, ever dreamed of, we are first and always Rosalynn and Jimmy Carter from Plains, Georgia,” wrote Rosalynn in her memoir, First Lady From Plains.
The couple had four children: Jack, Chip, Jeff, and Amy.
One of President Carter and Rosalynn’s final public appearances together was at the Plains Peanut Festival in Sept.
The outing was an early celebration for President Carter, as it was a week before his 99th birthday.
Currently, President Carter is experiencing the loss of his wife while in hospice care.
On Feb. 18, it was announced that the former president is spending the rest of his life at home.
“After a series of short hospital stays, former U.S. President Jimmy Carter today decided to spend his remaining time at home with his family and receive hospice care instead of additional medical intervention,” read a statement shared by The Carter Center.
In Sept., President Carter’s grandson Jason gave an update on his grandparents’ last days together before Rosalynn’s death.
“He’s been in hospice now for several months, but they are happy,” Jason said. “They are together. They are at home. They’re in love, and I don’t think anyone gets more than that. I mean, it’s a perfect situation for this time in their lives.”
Jason also provided insight into President Carter’s health status.
He said his grandfather has been facing “really significant physical challenges.”
Jason is following his grandfather’s footsteps.
Like President Carter, Jason entered politics. The 48-year-old was a senator. He also was nominated for governor of Georgia in the 2014 election but lost to Republican nominee Nathan Deal.
Besides Jason, President Carter and Rosalynn had 9 other grandchildren.
Their names are Sarah, James (son of Chip), Josh, Jeremy, Margaret, James (son of Jeff), Hugo, Errol, John, and step-granddaughter Sarah Chuldenko Reynolds. Sadly, Jeremy passed away in 2015.
Amy’s son Hugo, who is 24 years old, recently achieved fame of his own after appearing in reality TV show Claim to Fame.
After his famous relative was revealed, Hugo shared, “He’s an amazing grandpa, honestly. I love him so much. I call him Papa. He led America and my family very well. I stand for everything he stands for. He believes in equality for everyone, regardless of race, class, gender, anything. He’s an amazing person. I aspire to be like him one day.”