Jimmy Carter (James Earl Carter, Jr.) was born on October 1, 1924, in the small agricultural town of Plains, Georgia, into a family engaged in peanut farming. He studied nuclear engineering at the Georgia Institute of Technology and later graduated from the United States Naval Academy in Annapolis. Carter served for seven years in the U.S. Navy, working within the nuclear submarine program.

Following his father’s death in 1953, Carter resigned from military service and returned to Georgia, where he took over the management of the family’s farms and businesses. He served as president of various civic organizations before entering politics. In 1962, he was elected as a Georgia State Senator, marking the beginning of his political career.

In 1971, Carter was elected as the 76th Governor of Georgia. On November 2, 1976, he ran as the Democratic Party candidate against incumbent President Gerald Rodolph Ford Jr. and won the election by a narrow margin. Jimmy Carter served as President of the United States from January 20, 1977, to January 20, 1981.

During Carter’s presidency, the United States experienced a severe energy crisis, while inflation reached some of the highest levels in the nation’s history. Internationally, the Soviet Union invaded Afghanistan, and in Iran, the regime of Mohammad Reza Shah Pahlavi collapsed, leading to the establishment of the Islamic Republic. In the aftermath, the U.S. Embassy in Tehran was seized by a group of students encouraged by the new government, and American diplomats were held hostage for 444 days, a crisis that continued until the final days of Carter’s presidency.

In 1982, Carter founded The Carter Center to promote and expand human rights worldwide. He traveled extensively to mediate peace negotiations, monitor elections, and advance the prevention and eradication of diseases in developing countries. Carter also became a prominent figure in the humanitarian organization Habitat for Humanity. Alongside his activism, he remained an active commentator on American and global affairs, including the Israeli–Palestinian conflict, and authored more than 30 books ranging from political memoirs to poetry.

After the death of George Bush, Carter became the oldest living former President of the United States. In recognition of his lifelong commitment to conflict resolution and humanitarian efforts, Jimmy Carter was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2002.

Following his presidency, Carter played a mediating role in numerous international crises around the world. His post-presidential career became widely regarded as one of the most impactful in modern American history.

On July 7, 1946, Carter married Rosalynn Smith. The couple had three sons and one daughter.

In October 2019, at the age of 95, the former president suffered a fall at his home in Plains, Georgia, resulting in a minor pelvic fracture, and was treated at Phoebe Sumter Medical Center.

Jimmy Carter died on December 29, 2024, at the age of 100, in Plains, Georgia, United States. A state funeral was planned in his honor.

Source: Biyografiler.com