Former US President Jimmy Carter has died at the age of 100.
The Carter Center announced that its founder, the oldest living former U.S. president, died peacefully Sunday afternoon at his home in his native Plains, Georgia.
The statement said he was surrounded by family, adding: “At 100 years old, he was the longest-lived president in U.S. history.”
Mr. Carter, a Nobel Peace Prize winner and president from 1977 to 1981, is survived by his children Jack, Chip, Jeff, and Amy, 11 grandchildren, and 14 great-grandchildren.
“My father was a hero, not just to me, but to everyone who believed in peace, human rights, and selfless love,” said his son Chip Carter.
“My brothers, sisters, and I shared him with the rest of the world through these common beliefs. The world is our family because of the way he brought people together. And… Thank you for honoring his memory by keeping these shared beliefs alive.” ”
Photo: Carter Center
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Tribute to an ‘extraordinary leader’
Last February, it was revealed that Mr Carter was receiving hospice care and planned to “spend the remainder of his time at home with his family”.
The Carter Center said in a statement at the time that it was decided that he would not undergo “further medical intervention” after a series of brief hospitalizations.
Jimmy Carter in downtown Philadelphia in 1976. File photo: AP
39th President of the United States
Carter, a Democrat, defeated former President Gerald Ford in 1976 and became the 39th president of the United States.
The Georgia native and former peanut farmer served one term as president, losing to Republican Ronald Reagan in 1980.
The final years of his administration were dominated by the Iran hostage crisis, in which 52 Americans were captured at the American embassy in November 1979.
On January 20, 1981, the day he stepped down, the hostages were released. Mr. Carter continued to negotiate behind the scenes even after losing the election.
In 2002, he was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for his work in averting conflicts around the world.
Mr. Carter led diplomatic missions into his 80s and was involved in building housing for the poor into his 90s.
Carter once said, “My faith demands that I do whatever I can to make a difference wherever I am, whenever I can, whenever I can.” “We’re asking them to do whatever it takes.” Said.
When his wife of 77 years, Rosalynn Carter, passed away in November 2023 at the age of 96, the former president attended a memorial service held in her honor in Atlanta, Georgia.
He wore a blue and white blanket with her face embroidered on it.
On his 100th birthday earlier this year, Mr Carter received a personal congratulatory telegram from the King, expressing his admiration for his career in public life.
File photo: AP
“An extraordinary leader”
The Carter Center says while final arrangements for a state funeral are still being made, there will be opportunities for the public to pay their respects in Atlanta, Georgia and Washington, D.C., before the private interment in Plains. said.
Former President Bill Clinton and his wife, former presidential candidate Hillary Clinton, paid tribute to Carter, whom they first met during the 1975 campaign, saying, “Thank you for a long and good life.”
“President Carter was guided by his faith and lived to the end to serve others,” they said in a statement.
“Today, America and the world lost an extraordinary leader, statesman, and humanitarian,” said White House incumbent Joe Biden.
President-elect Donald Trump said the challenges Carter 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.”
“For that, we all owe him a debt of gratitude,” he said in a statement.
World leaders, including French President Emmanuel Macron, also paid tribute, saying: “Jimmy Carter defended the rights of the most vulnerable and tirelessly led the fight for peace.” I wrote it.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer said: “I am deeply saddened to hear of President Carter’s passing and would like to pay tribute to his decades of selfless public service.”
