Jimmy Carter, who served as the 39th US President from 1977 to 1981, has died at the age of 100 at his home in Georgia, Reuters reported quoting US media on Monday.
Carter, who won the Nobel Peace Prize for his humanitarian work, is credited with brokering peace between Israel and Egypt. A Democrat, Carter entered the White House after beating incumbent President, Republican Gerald Ford, in the 1976 US election. He was defeated in the 1980 election by actor-turned politician Ronald Reagan, who had earlier served as California governor.
“My father was a hero, not only to me but to everyone who believes in peace, human rights, and unselfish love,” Reuters quoted Chip Carter, the former US president’s son, as saying on Sunday.
“My brothers, sister, and I shared him with the rest of the world through these common beliefs. The world is our family because of the way he brought people together, and we thank you for honouring his memory by continuing to live these shared beliefs,” he added.
Carter, in recent years, experienced a range of health issues, including melanoma that spread to his liver and brain. He decided to receive hospice care, a type of health care focussed on improving the quality of life of people who are terminally ill, in 2023 and chose not to undergo additional medical intervention.
He attended the funeral of his wife, Rosalynn Carter, who died on November 19, 2023, at age 96, in a wheelchair, looking frail during the memorial service. Carter, however, went on to achieve the distinction of living longer, after his term in office, than any other US President.
He was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2002 for his contributions to finding peaceful solutions to international conflicts, apart from advancing democracy and human rights among others. His single four-year stay at the Oval Office witnessed the 1978 Camp David accords between Israel and Egypt that helped bring stability to the Middle East.
However, an economic recession, his unpopularity and the 1979 Iran hostage crisis created an atmosphere against him, and he was ousted in the 1980 US election, losing to Reagan. US President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden issued an official statement and condoled Jimmy Carter’s death and remembered him as an “extraordinary leader, statesman and humanitarian”.
“Today, America and the world lost an extraordinary leader, statesman and humanitarian. Over six decades, we had the honour of calling Jimmy Carter a dear friend. But, what’s extraordinary about Jimmy Carter, though, is that millions of people throughout America and the world who never met him thought of him as a dear friend as well,” Biden also wrote on X.
President-elect Donald Trump said that Carter was a leader who worked to improve the lives of all Americans despite the adversities that he faced during his tenure.
“The challenges Jimmy faced as President came at a pivotal time for our country, and he did everything in his power to improve the lives of all Americans. For that, we all owe him a debt of gratitude,” Trump said.
“Melania and I are thinking warmly of the Carter Family and their loved ones during this difficult time. We urge everyone to keep them in their hearts and prayers,” he added.
Jimmy Carter moved into the White House at a time when the US was still feeling the aftershocks of the Watergate scandal that led Republican Richard Nixon to step down as President in 1974 and make way for Vice President Gerald Ford, who rose to the highest office in the country.
“The biggest failure we had was a political failure. I never was able to convince the American people that I was a forceful and strong leader,” Carter said in a 1991 documentary when he was asked to evaluate his presidency.
Carter left office as an unpopular President but post his tenure, he worked enthusiastically for decades on humanitarian causes.
In the following years, Carter gained international recognition as a human rights champion, and rose to popularity as a voice for the underprivileged. He led the fight against hunger and poverty and won unprecedented popularity, something which he could not even achieve as President.