Former president James ‘Jimmy’ Carter turned 100 years old on Tuesday, Oct. 1. He celebrated with his family and was honored with a military flyby, as well as many birthday wishes from prominent American figures, such as former president Barack Obama and political commentator Jon Stewart.
Carter served as the 39th President of the United States from 1977 to 1981 as a Democratic nominee, defeating former President Gerald Ford in the 1976 election. He, in turn, was defeated in a landslide by Republican Ronald Reagan in 1980 after events in the final months of his presidency, such as the Iran hostage crisis, decreased the public’s trust in him. After leaving the White House, Carter dedicated his life to humanitarian causes. He and his wife Rosalynn Smith established the Carter Center in 1982, a nonprofit, non-governmental organization that promotes healthcare, advances democracy and fights for human rights across the globe.
In honor of his 100th birthday, here are five fun facts facts people may not know about the centenarian:
- He is America’s only peanut farmer president:
Carter grew up on his parents’ farm in Plains, Georgia. His father started growing peanut crops in his childhood, and he got first hand experience on the management of the farm and warehouse, as well as the labor of agriculture. During his 1976 campaign, there were many political cartoons of Carter as a smiling peanut.
- He put photovoltaic panels in the White House.
As America faced an oil crisis due to their dependence on foreign oil supply and the Arab oil embargo in the 70s, the Carter administration called for conservation of energy and alternative methods. In 1979, he installed 32 solar panels on the roof of the White House as a call for a new era of renewable energy in America. The panels were removed in the 80s by Ronald Reagan.
- He hosted a jazz festival at the White House.
Carter was a lover of music, hosting various concerts of all genres at the White House, from blues to classical. He had the friendship and support of many American musical icons, such as Bob Dylan, John Denver and Lynyrd Skynyrd. In 1978, Carter held a great jazz festival in the South Lawn of the White House, welcoming everyone with a speech that talked about racism and elitism in the music scene and highlighted the beauty of jazz. He called it “the best party we’ve ever had.”
- He plays the harmonica.
More than just a listener, Carter has some musical talent, as well. A long-time friend of country icon Willie Nelson, the former president joined him on stage in Atlanta in 2008 to play the song “Georgia on My Mind” together. Carter gave no speech or pushed any agendas, he was only there to have a good time and play his harmonica.
- He built Habitat for Humanity houses at age 95.
The Carter Center and Habitat for Humanity have had a long-standing partnership to build much-needed homes. Still, in 2019, people were shocked to see the former president donning a hard hat with his wife, busy at work building houses. Although the press went to take some photos, the couple were not there for a photo-op — they were there to work.
Happy birthday, Mr. Carter! It has been a century well spent.
A true servant of humanity, Carter has dedicated his life to many causes. The Carter Center established their Guinea Worm Eradication program in 1986. Guinea worms are parasites in contaminated water that cause painful infections. In 2015, Carter said that he would “like for the last Guinea worm to die before I do.” This battle is still on-going, as both parties keep holding on, but through the work of the center and its partners, reported human cases have gone down from upwards of 3.5 million in 1986 to just 14 in 2023.
Carter has also been a vocal supporter of Palestinian rights and a two-state solution between Israel and Palestine for decades. During his presidency, he oversaw the signing of the Camp David Accords between Egypt and Israel, which suggested freedom of self-governance for the territories of the West Bank and Gaza. In 2006, he published “Palestine: Peace Not Apartheid,” a book in which he criticized Israel for its mistreatment of the Palestinian people, based on research and his own experiences in the Middle East. In 2023 and 2024, the Carter Center called for a ceasefire to the current hostilities in the region to safeguard the lives of innocent civilians in Gaza and Rafah.
People interested in the Carter Center’s mission can check out the Get Involved and Ways to Give tabs on their website.
