By Seyi Babalola
Jimmy Carter, the United States’ 39th president, died on Sunday at the age of 100.
Despite serving only one term in office, he went on to a renowned second act of humanitarian service and lived long enough to become the oldest former president in US history.
The longest-lived president in US history, he celebrated his 100th birthday in October 2024. He had been treated for cancer and had spent the last 19 months in hospice care.
Daily Sun brings to you 7 things to know about Jimmy Carter.
1. Jimmy Carter’s early background
James Earl Carter Jr was born on 1 October 1924 in the small town of Plains, Georgia, the eldest of four children.
His father had started the family peanut business, and his mother, Lillian, was a registered nurse.
He lived on a farm from age 4 until he departed for college in 1941. Tour his Boyhood Farm in Plains, part of the Jimmy Carter National Historical Park, to hear stories about his childhood and peek inside his father’s commissary and various other buildings.
Carter’s experience of the Great Depression and staunch Baptist faith underpinned his political philosophy.
2. Jimmy Carter was the first US president born in a hospital
Despite being born in 1924 in the tiny hamlet of Plains in rural southwest Georgia, miles from the nearest large city, James Earl Carter took his first breath at Wise Sanitarium, making him the first U.S. president to be born in a hospital. Lillian, Carter’s mother, worked there as a nurse.
When it came time to deliver her first child, the hospital had an available room, and Dr. Sam Wise advised her to give birth there rather than at the Carter home. (The doctor believed that if she delivered at the hospital, she would be able to return to work sooner).
3. Carter graduated high school in 1941
In 1941, Carter graduated from Plains High School, now a museum and visitor centre for the Jimmy Carter National Historical Park in Plains.
The museum displays memorabilia of the president’s life and times, including a replica of the desk he used in the Oval Office while president.
4. Before becoming a peanut farmer, state senator, governor and president, Carter was a submariner in the United States Navy
After graduating from the Naval Academy, Carter first served on a ship. The Carter family moved from Norfolk to Hawaii, Connecticut, New York, and California with the service.
He then decided to go into submarines and, inspired by his respect for Admiral Hyman G. Rickover, applied to be in the nuclear program. Jimmy Carter served aboard the submarine USS K-1.
5. Carter was a baseball lover his entire life
Carter’s childhood baseball opportunities were occasionally hampered by agricultural activities in the spring. He has supported the Atlanta Braves since the franchise relocated to Georgia in 1966.
Carter had the opportunity to shake Hank Aaron’s hand on the day he set the national league mark for most home runs, and he delivered the ceremonial first pitch in game six of the 1995 World Series, the same night the Braves won the title.
However, some of the most famous ballgames in the country took place in Plains, Georgia from 1977 and 1981 when then-President Carter and the Secret Service played friendly softball against Billy Carter and members of the press.
6. Jimmy Carter resided in the same Georgia house for almost 60 years
When the Carters departed the White House in 1981, they moved back to their single house, 209 Woodlawn Avenue, which they had acquired in 1961.
The simple ranch-style house served as the Carter family’s home base during his tenure in the Georgia Senate, as well as governor and president. He is one of the few presidents in recent history to return to the home he resided in before becoming president.
7. Carter was a prolific author
In addition to his post-presidency work with the Carter Center, Habitat for Humanity, and a variety of other charitable organizations, Carter wrote over 30 books about his life, career, and experiences, ranging from international affairs to a recollection of childhood Christmases in Plains.
He even received three Grammy Awards in the Spoken Word Album category for audio recordings of his books “Faith: A Journey for All” (2019), “A Full Life: Reflections at Ninety” (2018), and “Our Endangered Values: America’s Moral Crisis” (2006).