Navy in the Second World War, been a nuclear technician and a Sunday School teacher. Most famously though, Carter was a long time peanut farmer - something he and his hometown of Plains is still remembered fondly for to this today. In fact peanuts are such an iconic staple of Carter's life that massive peanut carvings of himself and his wife Rosalynn greet visitors to the entrance of his presidential library! Carter got into politics by running for the Georgia State Senate on the platform of abolishing segregation in the American Deep South, and strongly dedicated himself to civil rights. In 1971 he became the 79th Governor of the State of Georgia, and then in 1976 ran as the Democratic Party candidate for
President alongside Walter Mondale against incumbent Republican 38th President Gerald Ford and Vice President Nelson Rockerfeller. Carter promoted his origins as a humble peanut farmer and a political outsider as a fresh and necessary perspective in Washington following the Watergate Scandal and the resignation of 37th President Richard Nixon. Though the campaign was tough on both Carter and Ford, the two would later become close friends; Carter eventually delivered the eulogy at Ford's funeral in 2006. Carter won the 1976 election and was sworn in as President on January 20th 1977. He devoted his presidency to the advancement of human rights domestically and internationally, and also supported envionrmental protection and international diplomacy initatives. Carter prioritised transparency of government following the political turbulence of the 1970's, and famously told the American public that if he was ever caught telling them a lie, they should force him to resign.
Carter's presidency faced its fair share of difficulties. The United States faced a serious petrol and diesel shortage and was entering a period of severe economic stagflation (where unemployment is high and the economy is stagnant with high inflation). Most troubling was the Iranian Hostage Crisis of 1979, where 52 American diplomats were held hostage by Iranian protestors who siezed the US Embassy in Tehran. Carter also experienced a great success in 1978 with the Camp David Accords, where Carter personally mediated and brokered a peace deal between President Anwar Sadat of Egypt and Prime Minister of Israel Menachem Begin, bringing a formal end to the Yom Kippur War. After the challenges of the Iranian Hostage Crisis and the turbulent economy of his presidency, Jimmy Carter lost the 1980 presidential election to 40th President Ronald Reagan and his Vice President George Bush Senior. Carter spent his final moments in office finalising agreements to have the American hostages in Tehran released - none of whom has been harmed. The negotiations were a success, but the government of Iran refused to release them until Reagan had been sworn in.
After his presidency Carter and Rosalynn returned to their home in Plains, Georgia, where they founded The Carter Centre - a nonprofit organisation that has been working continuously to this day to promote Carter's strong values of human rights and human development. Carter has had the longest and most active post presidency of any former American president. Working tirelessly for causes he believes in, some of Carter's greatest accomplishments since leaving office in 1981 include eradicating dracunculiasis (aka "Guinea Worm Disease"), preventing an American invasion of Haiti in 1994 by convincing Dictator Raoul Cédras to resign peacefully, monitoring and promoting fair and free elections worldwide - most notably in El Salvador, South Africa and Ukraine, overseeing the distribution of wheat and grain from the World Food Bank in North Korea after a famine alongside Mary Robinson, and convincing the government of the People's Republic of China to drop its policy of outlawing private religious worship. These efforts and more earned Carter a Nobel Peace Prize in 2002, becoming the third American president to receive one (Theodore Roosevelt and Woodrow Wilson before him, and after him Barack Obama). Carter has also famously supported Habitat for Humanity in his post presidency - an organisation that The High School also shares a long history with! Carter continued carpentry as a hobby well into his 90's, and has worked on over 4,900 projects with them since he joined the organisation in 1984. Jimmy Carter has enjoyed a long and successful life, and a peaceful but highly active 'retirement'. Dispite his troubled presidency, Carter has received widespread praise for his humanitarian efforts in and out of office. In 2009 Carter himself refelected that "I believe I had been a far better post president than I was a president". Carter enjoyed his adventures alongside his childhood sweetheart Rosalynn for almost his whole life until she passed away peacefully in November 2023. Rosalynn had developed dementia, but had never forgotten who Jimmy was or how special their relationship had been. Jimmy Carter has been in hospice care since, his last public appearance was at her funeral in Plains. According to his grandson Jason, Carter still likes to keep his mind buisy and has been enjoying listening to a variety of audio books. Reportedly, he is hoping to be able to vote in the 2024 American Presidential Election in November. Jimmy Carter has achieved a fantastic milestone in reaching his 100th birthday, and has lived a long and successful life. If you are interested in learning more about him I would highly recommend two excellent books about him, the first being his definative autobiography, 'A Full Life: Reflections at Nintey' and 'Jimmy Carter: A Comprehensive Biography from Plains to Post Presidency' by Peter G. Bourne. All that's left to say now is: Happy birthday President Carter!!
Leo Shorten
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