On October 1, 2024, Jimmy Carter, the 39th President of the United States, will have reached his 100th birthday. He will be the first president of the United States ever to live a century. Currently, as of September 2023, for the last 19 months, he has been under hospice care, but, according to his grandson Jason Carter, he said that his grandfather is still able to laugh, love, and enjoy meaningful moments.
Arguably one of America’s most famous ex-presidents, Jimmy Carter first took office in 1977 and served until 1981. While his public life is widely known, few know much about his post-presidential philanthropic work or the organization he has made particularly famous: Habitat for Humanity. To mark his hundredth birthday, volunteers with the organization are building 30 homes in Minnesota as a tribute to Carter’s longstanding commitment to decent, affordable housing.
Commemorating this extraordinary occasion, special ceremonies will be conducted in the hometown of Plains, Georgia. A flyover by a military jet is planned, and 100 people will be made to take the oath of naturalization in honor of Carter. Such events depict the high sense of respect that the country has for Carter not only as an ex-president but also as a Nobel laureate and lifelong human rights and peace activist.
This month, an incredible concert was held in Atlanta, Georgia, to celebrate the centennial birthday of Carter. The event collected more than $1.2 million for The Carter Center as many artists attended and others sent videotaped messages for the former presidents of the United States. Since it was impossible for him to attend the event, Carter personally thanked it, labeling it a historic and emotional tribute.
Perhaps because she enjoyed a good wordplay, the late Rosalynn Carter, who died last November at the age of 96, has the distinct record to her name when married to Jimmy Carter for 77 years, the longest of any marriage of first couples in U.S history, Not one with health problems that can slightly bother anyone, Carter remains an inspiration both through strength and legacy of service.
Carter’s life serves as a reminder of what one person can do whether from the pinnacle of political power to grassroots community efforts working to lift up those in communities who have been knocked down. His centennial serves as a celebration not simply of his aging but of the countless lives his life has touched.
Happy 100th Birthday, President Carter.
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