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James Earl Carter Jr. (born October 1, 1924) is an American politician and humanitarian who served as the 39th president of the United States from 1977 to 1981. A member of the Democratic Party, he was the 76th governor of Georgia from 1971 to 1975, and a Georgia state senator from 1963 to 1967.
Former President Jimmy Carter, once a robust figure, now faces a challenging battle for his health. After 16 months in hospice care, his condition remains dire.
Jimmy Carter, now 99, became the oldest living president in history after George H.W. Bush died in 2018 at the age of 94. He has survived metastatic brain cancer, liver cancer...
- Overview
- Early life and political career
Jimmy Carter served as the 39th president of the United States, from 1977 to 1981, which was a time of serious problems at home and abroad. He was also awarded the Nobel Prize for Peace in 2002. Learn about the key events of his life.
Who is Jimmy Carter's wife?
Jimmy Carter married Rosalynn Smith on July 7, 1946. She became one of the most politically astute and active of all American first ladies and a strong mental health advocate.
Why was Jimmy Carter awarded the Nobel Prize for Peace?
Jimmy Carter was awarded the Nobel Prize for Peace in 2002 for his work in diplomacy and advocacy, both during and after his presidency.
What was Jimmy Carter's role in the Camp David Accords?
The son of Earl Carter, a peanut warehouser who had served in the Georgia state legislature, and Lillian Gordy Carter, a registered nurse who went to India as a Peace Corps volunteer at age 68, Carter attended Georgia Southwestern College and the Georgia Institute of Technology before graduating from the U.S. Naval Academy at Annapolis, Maryland, in 1946. After marrying Rosalynn Smith (Rosalynn Carter)—who came from Carter’s small hometown, Plains, Georgia—he embarked on a seven-year career in the U.S. Navy, serving submarine duty for five years. He was preparing to become an engineering officer for the submarine Seawolf in 1953 when his father died. Carter resigned his commission and returned to Georgia to manage the family peanut farm operations.
Beginning his political career by serving on the local board of education, Carter won election as a Democrat to the Georgia state senate in 1962 and was reelected in 1964. In 1966 he failed in a bid for the governorship and, depressed by this experience, found solace in Evangelical Christianity, becoming a born-again Baptist.
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Prior to running again for governor and winning in 1970, Carter at least tacitly adhered to a segregationist approach. However, in his inaugural address he announced that “the time for racial discrimination is over” and proceeded to open Georgia’s government offices to Blacks—and to women. As governor, he reorganized the existing maze of state agencies and consolidated them into larger units while introducing stricter budgeting procedures for them. In the process he came to national attention, finding his way onto the cover of Time magazine as a symbol of both good government and the “New South.”
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Nov 20, 2023 · Jimmy Carter served as the 39 th president of the United States, from 1977 to 1981, and was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2002 for his humanitarian work around the world.
Nov 9, 2009 · Jimmy Carter served as the 39th U.S. president and faced formidable challenges, including a major energy crisis as well as high inflation and unemployment.
Mar 28, 2024 · Jimmy Carter is a man of many milestones -- and the list keeps growing. Late last week, the former president and Nobel Peace Prize-winning humanitarian marked another year as the longest lived ex-commander in chief, a record he has held since March 2019.