Jimmy Carter Becomes Longest-Living President in U.S. History
On Tuesday, October 1, Jimmy Carter celebrated his 100th birthday. While reaching this age is a significant milestone for anyone who does so, he has also made history by becoming the only president in United States history to turn this incredible age. The second longest-living president was George H. W. Bush, who lived to be 94 before his passing in 2018.
Born in 1924, Carter is a former naval officer who began his early career as a peanut farmer in his home state of Georgia before transitioning into politics. He served as a state senator and was later elected as Georgia’s governor before running for president. He eventually became the 39th president of the United States, serving one term from 1977 to 1981.
In honor of the former president turning 100, the White House even displayed a large sign on its front lawn wishing him a happy birthday.
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Jimmy Carter’s Philanthropy Work
Carter has been in hospice care for going on two years at his current residence in Georgia, where he lived with his wife, former First Lady Rosalynn Carter. Rosalynn unfortunately passed away last year at the age of 96.
After his time in office, Carter and his wife dedicated much of their efforts to charity work, founding the Carter Center, a non-profit organization that focuses on democracy and human rights. The organization aims to prevent diseases, resolve conflicts, and promote mental health care.
“He and Mrs. Carter were concerned about living as long as they possibly could, being as healthy as they possibly could, so they could help as many people as they possibly could,” a close friend of the Carters said in a statement to Fox News Digital.
“They have eaten right every single meal. They have exercised every single day. They are just relentless in taking care of themselves so they can live as long as they possibly can to take care of others. And that’s what President Carter is proving today, that all those things make a difference.”
In recognition of his many years of charity work, Carter was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2002 “for his decades of untiring effort to find peaceful solutions to international conflicts, to advance democracy and human rights, and to promote economic and social development.”