Jimmy Carter Becomes First U.S. President to Turn 100
Former President Jimmy Carter turns 100 today (Oct. 1) and not only is he celebrating such an incredible milestone of becoming a centenarian, but the amazing feat of also becoming the longest-living president in American history. Carter was once a peanut farmer and then traded in his farming lifestyle for a career in the military and later politics, first being elected a state senator and then governor of Georgia. He served as the 39th president from 1977 to 1981.
When he left the Oval Office, he turned his attention to humanitarian work with his beloved wife and former first lady Rosalynn Carter. They founded the nonprofit organization the Carter Center and worked with Habitat for Humanity for many years.
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Unfortunately, he was diagnosed with cancer that spread to his brain in 2015. Still, he seemed in good spirits with his wife by his side. She died on Nov. 19, 2023, almost a year ago. Many thought he would pass shortly after his wife of 77 years, but his son has said that he is hoping to hang on until he can vote in the upcoming presidential election. Carter entered hospice care in February of 2023 and has been there since. The last time he was seen in public was during his wife’s funeral.
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While no other president has made it to 100, there were a few that made it pretty close. Ronald Reagan was 93 when he died in 2004, Gerald Ford was also 93 when he died in 2006 and George H.W. Bush died in 2018 at the age of 94.
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