Photo credit: CBS News
The 39th President of the United States James Earl Carter Jr is dead.
Aged 100, he lived from October 1, 1924, to December 29, 2024.
A member of the Democratic Party, he was the longest-lived US president and the only one to reach 100 years of age.
He served as president of the United States from January 20, 1977, to January 20, 1981.
Born and raised in Plains, Georgia, he graduated from the US Naval Academy in 1946 and joined the US Navy’s submarine service. After his military service, he revived his family’s peanut-growing business before starting a career in Georgian politics. he was a staunch supporter of the civil rights movement as a senator and later governor.
He became president in 1977 after winning the 1976 election. He lost what should have been a second term in office to Ronald Reagan.
Carter then founded the Carter Centre. The foundation assisted in peace negotiations, monitored elections, and provided treatment for neglected tropical diseases (NTDs). The centre has become the driving force behind several major deworming and disease eradication efforts, including the campaign to end dracunculiasis.
His writings cover diverse topics, from tropical memoirs and global affairs to poetry. Historians and polls have assigned mixed ratings to Carter’s presidency, but his post-presidency period has received near-universal praise, including a Nobel Peace Prize in 2002.
